THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


6 
L385Wash'nSt.Boston 


FOURTH  IMPRESSION 


The  American  Trail  Blazers 

"THE  STORY  GRIPS  AND  THE  HISTORY  STICKS" 

These  books  present  in  the  form  of  vivid  and  fascinating 
fiction,  the  early  and  adventurous  phases  of  American 
history.  Each  volume  deals  with  the  life  and  adventures 
of  one  of  the  great  men  who  made  that  history,  or  with 
some  one  great  event  in  which,  perhaps,  several  heroic 
characters  were  involved.  The  stories,  though  based  upon 
accurate  historical  fact,  are  rich  in  color,  full  of  dramatic 
action,  and  appeal  to  the  imagination  of  the  red-blooded 
man  or  boy. 

Each  volume  illustrated  in  color  and  black  and  white 
1 2  mo.        Cloth. 

LOST  WITH  LIEUTENANT  PIKE 

GENERAL  CROOK  AND  THE  FIGHTING 
APACHES 

OPENING  THE  WEST  WITH  LEWIS  AND 
CLARK 

WITH  CARSON  AND  FREMONT 
DANIEL  BOONE:    BACKWOODSMAN 

BUFFALO  BILL  AND  THE  OVERLAND 
TRAIL 

CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH 
DAVID  CROCKETT:    SCOUT 
ON  THE  PLAINS  WITH  CUSTER 
GOLD  SEEKERS  OF  '49 
WITH  SAM  HOUSTON  IN  TEXAS 


THE  TERRIFIED  FRENCHMAN  DROPPED  HIS  SWORD  AND  FELL  UPON 

HIS  KNEES  Page  77 


CAPTAIN 
JOHN  SMITH 


BY 

C.  H.  FORBES- LINDSAY 

AUTHOR  OF  "INDIA:  PAST  AND  PRESENT,"  "AMERICA'S  INSULAR 
POSSESSIONS,"  "DANIEL  BOONE,  BACKWOODSMAN,"  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR  BY 

HARRY  B.  LACHMAN 


PHILADELPHIA  &   LONDON 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL  THERE'S  A  WAY  ...    23 

II    LONDON  TOWN  IN  SHAKESPEARE'S  DAY 36 

III  THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 48 

IV  DUPED  AND  ROBBED 60 

V    A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 72 

VI    DARKNESS  AND  DAWN 83 

VII    SOME  STRATAGEMS 95 

VIII    THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 107 

IX    GUERILLA  TACTICS 119 

X    THE  THREE  TURKS 130 

XI    BRAVE  HEARTS  AND  TRUE 144 

«£  XII    SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 155 

in          XIII    A  BAD  BEGINNING 171 

g  XIV      POWHATAN  AND  HlS  PEOPLE 1 82 

XV    TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 193 

XVI    CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 204 

<•$  XVII      POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 215 

XVIII    FIRE  AND  STARVATION 226 

XIX    A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 238 

XX    DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 250 

XXI    SOME  AMBUSCADES 262 

XXII    A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 274 

XXIII  A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 285 

XXIV  A  DISMAL  TALE 296 


4^-  • , 


FOREWORD 

THE  history  of  the  world  furnishes  few  lives  so 
romantic  and  replete  with  stirring  incident  as  that 
of  John  Smith,  the  founder  of  the  first  English 
colony  in  America — that  settlement  at  Jamestown 
in  Virginia,  of  which  the  United  States  of  today 
is  the  outgrowth. 

John  Smith  began  life  in  the  year  1580,  in  the 
glorious  reign  of  Good  Queen  Bess.  It  was  a  world 
of  turmoil  into  which  our  hero  came,  but  a  most 
fitting  field  for  so  adventurous  a  spirit.  In  France, 
the  gallant  Henry  of  Navarre  was  fighting  for  a 
kingdom  and  his  faith  against  the  Catholic  League. 
In  the  Low  Countries,  the  sturdy  Dutchmen,  under 
Maurice  of  Orange,  were  defending  their  homes 
from  the  invasion  of  the  arrogant  and  bigoted 
Spaniard,  who  deemed  it  his  duty  to  punish  every 
Protestant  people.  In  the  east  of  Europe,  the 
Ottomans — Asiatics  from  Turkestan  and  other 
countries — maintained  an  incessant  and  savage 
warfare  against  the  subjects  of  the  Emperor  of 
Germany. 

There  was  but  one  peaceful  spot  in  all  Christen 
dom,  and  that  the  "  right  little,  tight  little  island  " 
of  our  forefathers.  There  were,  however,  thousands 
of  Englishmen  who,  like  John  Smith,  had  no 

9 


FOREWORD 

stomach  for  a  life  of  ease  and  they  were  to  be  found 
in  every  army  on  the  continent,  fighting  for  gain  or 
religion,  and  often  for  sheer  love  of  the  life  of  action. 
Moreover  Cabot,  the  first  on  the  coast  of  America, 
had  started  that  movement  which  was  to  create  the 
greatest  colonial  empire  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
and  Raleigh  had  already  made  his  first  futile  attempt 
to  settle  Virginia,  where  John  Smith  was  destined 
to  play  a  master  part. 

On  the  seas,  vessels  of  each  nation  preyed  upon 
those  of  every  other,  for  a  tacit  condition  of  enmity 
prevailed  among  them  regardless  of  the  status  of 
their  several  countries.  Navies  were  composed 
mainly  of  the  merchant  marine,  for  every  ocean 
going  ship  carried  cannon  and  small  arms.  Com 
monly  their  captains  were  furnished  with  letters  of 
marque,  commissions  issued  by  their  sovereigns 
authorizing  the  holders  to  attack  the  sails  of  other 
countries  hostile  to  their  own  and  to  take  prizes 
and  prisoners.  The  possession  of  letters  of  marque 
saved  a  captain  and  his  crew  from  the  disgrace  and 
the  penalty  of  piracy,  but  it  was  often  no  more  than 
a  cloak  for  the  practice.  Two  ships  flying  different 
flags  hardly  ever  met,  but  the  stronger  attacked  the 
other  and,  if  victorious,  plundered  her,  and  that 
without  any  consideration  for  the  friendly  relations 
that  might  at  the  time  exist  between  their  respective 
countries.  The  age  of  the  robber  barons  had  passed 
away,  to  be  succeeded  by  a  somewhat  less  immoral 

10 


FOREWORD 

state  of  society  in  which  the  powerful  refrained  from 
preying  upon  their  countrymen  but  recognized  no 
law  of  justice  in  dealing  with  foreigners.  Judged 
by  our  standards,  Dampier  and  Drake  were  pirates ; 
Pizzaro  and  Cortes,  bandits. 

Smith,  with  a  less  acute  sense  of  honor  and  a 
lower  regard  for  right,  might  have  amassed  a  ready 
fortune  in  the  days  when  such  qualities  as  his 
ensured  wealth  to  the  unscrupulous  adventurers  on 
land  and  sea,  whose  predatory  careers  were  coun 
tenanced  and  abetted  by  monarchs  and  men  in  high 
places.  In  his  latter  years,  when  embittered  by  his 
failure  to  secure  money  for  legitimate  exploration, 
he  writes  :*  "  Had  I  set  myself  to  persuade  men 
that  I  knew  of  a  mine  of  gold,  as  I  know  many 
to  have  done  in  sheer  deception ;  or  had  I  advanced 
some  wild  scheme  for  a  passage  to  the  South  Sea; 
or  some  plot  to  loot  a  foreign  monastery;  or  the 
equipment  of  a  fleet  to  make  prizes  of  rich  East 
Indiamen;  or  letters  of  marque  to  rob  some  poor 
merchant  or  honest  fisherman,  multitudes  with  their 
money  would  have  contended  to  be  first  employed." 

Queen  Elizabeth,  the  wisest  and  the  most  humane 
sovereign  of  her  time,  had  ample  excuse  for  the 

*  Here,  and  in  a  few  instances  in  the  following  pages,  I 
have  made  slight  changes  in  the  wording,  without  affecting 
the  meaning,  of  Smith's  expressions.  Although  he  is  a  very 
clear  writer,  the  English  of  Shakespeare's  time  is  not  always 
readily  understandable  by  us. — C.  H.  F-L. 

II 


FOREWORD 

license  which  she  extended  to  her  sea  captains  in  the 
matter  of  attacking  the  Spanish  possessions  and 
ships.  It  was  a  measure  of  self-defence,  designed 
for  the  protection  of  the  liberties  and  religion  of  her 
subjects  against  the  aggressive  power  of  Spain, 
which,  after  the  discovery  of  America,  bid  fair, 
unless  checked,  to  make  her  the  mistress  of  the 
world.  Smith  was  in  his  ninth  year  when  our  daunt 
less  ancestors,  by  shattering  the  great  Armada, 
scotched  the  pride  of  Philip  and  halted  his  ambition. 
This  was  of  all  naval  battles,  perhaps,  the  most 
momentous  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  and  certainly 
of  vital  consequence  to  America,  for  had  Philip's 
fleet  gained  a  victory  on  that  occasion,  we,  as  a 
nation,  had  never  been.  It  is  more  than  probable 
that  the  old  religion  would  have  been  re-established 
in  England,  with  a  stop  to  the  march  of  liberty  and 
independence,  and  certain  that  Spain  would  have 
found  no  obstacle  to  the  acquisition  of  the  entire 
American  continent.  The  immediate  effect  of  Eng 
land's  victory  was  to  set  her  on  the  highway  to  the 
naval  supremacy  of  the  world,  and  the  generation 
to  which  John  Smith  belonged  maintained  a  constant 
struggle  for  the  command  of  the  seas.  Later  gen 
erations  of  Englishmen  carried  on  the  contest  with 
Holland  and  afterwards  with  France. 

We  have  seen  that  John  Smith  lived  in  a  period 
of  the  world  that  afforded  the  adventurer  ample 
and  varied  scope  for  the  exercise  of  talents  and 

12 


FOREWORD 

energy,  but  in  any  other  age  than  his  own  a  man 
of  Smith's  extraordinary  parts  must  have  taken 
a  prominent  place  among  his  contemporaries.  In 
the  period  following  the  decline  of  the  Roman 
power,  when  the  nations  of  Europe  were  in  the  for 
mative  stage,  such  a  man  would  surely  have  been  one 
of  the  great  dukes  (duces),  or  leaders  who  founded 
dynasties  of  kings.  At  the  present  day  he  might 
be  an  explorer,  a  captain  of  industry,  or  a  states 
man — for  Smith  had  the  qualities  that  ensure  success 
in  any  walk  of  life. 

It  is  a  wonderful  and  inspiring  story,  that  of  the 
stripling  who,  without  money  or  friends,  boldly  left 
his  native  land  and,  abandoning  himself  to  the  chance 
currents  of  a  strange  world,  at  the  age  when  the 
modern  schoolboy  is  seeking  distinction  on  the  foot 
ball  field,  was  learning  the  art  of  arms  in  the  practi 
cal  school  of  war.  Dame  Fortune  surely  smiled 
upon  the  errant  boy  and,  whilst  she  led  him  into 
constant  adventure  and  danger,  as  frequently  saw 
him  safely  out  of  them. 

During  his  checkered  career  as  a  soldier  of  fortune 
his  lot  is  often  cast  in  hard  places  and  his  life  is 
constantly  endangered.  He  is  shipwrecked  and  nar 
rowly  escapes  drowning.  Robbed  and  landed  upon 
a  foreign  shore  with  empty  purse,  he  is  forced  to 
sell  his  cloak  in  order  to  meet  his  needs.  Like  Jonah 
of  old,  he  is  thrown  overboard  by  a  superstitious 
crew,  but  contrives  to  swim  to  an  uninhabited  island. 

13 


FOREWORD 

He  is  sorely  wounded  in  battle  and  captured  by  the 
Turks,  who  sell  him  into  slavery. 

The  life  was  always  arduous,  for  in  those  days 
mere  travel  was  beset  by  dangers  and  difficulty,  but 
as  we  follow  the  lad  in  his  adventures  we  are  cheered 
by  many  a  bright  spot  and  many  a  fine  success. 
For  John  Smith  was  never  the  kind  to  be  depressed 
or  defeated  by  adversity.  Indeed,  he  reminds  one 
of  those  toys,  called  "  bottle  imps,"  that  may  be 
rolled  over  in  any  direction  but  cannot  be  made  to 
lie  down.  Hardly  has  he  met  with  a  reverse  than 
he  sets  about  repairing  it  and  always  with  success. 
To-day  he  is  cold,  hungry,  and  half  clad,  his  purse 
as  flat  as  a  flounder,  but  soon  afterwards  we  see 
him  going  gayly  on  his  way  with  a  pocket  full  of 
sequins,  his  share  in  a  prize  which  he  had  helped 
to  capture.  He  wins  his  spurs  in  the  Low  Countries 
and  in  the  war  against  the  Turks  is  granted  a  coat 
of  arms  for  the  exploit  of  defeating  three  of  the 
enemy's  champions  in  single  combat.  His  military 
services  earn  for  him  the  title  of  captain  and  the 
command  of  a  regiment  of  horse. 

All  these  things,  and  many  more  equally  remark 
able,  befall  John  Smith  before  he  has  reached  the 
age  of  twenty-four.  He  has  now  spent  eight  years 
abroad,  except  for  a  brief  return  to  England,  and 
all  this  time  he  is  fighting  on  land  and  at  sea,  or 
roaming  through  foreign  countries  in  search  of 
experience  and  adventure.  Keenly  observant  al- 

14 


FOREWORD 

ways,  he  extracts  from  each  occasion — as  the  bee 
gathers  honey  from  every  flower — some  knowledge 
to  be  turned  to  useful  account  in  later  life. 

Smith  has  no  other  purpose  during  this  early 
period  of  his  life  than  to  learn  what  he  can  of  the 
world  and  the  practice  of  arms — in  short  to  qualify 
himself  for  a  life  of  action  in  an  age  when  brawn 
is  no  less  essential  to  success  than  brain.  It  is  a 
stern  school  in  which  he  acquires  his  training  but  an 
effective  one,  and  he  makes  the  most  of  his  oppor 
tunities.  We  see.  the  expansion  of  his  mind  keeping 
pace  with  the  development  of  his  muscle,  until  the 
Captain  John  Smith  who  joins  the  colonists  bound 
for  Virginia  appears  as  a  man  of  perfect  physique 
and  mature  judgment.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the 
hardships  and  exposure  of  his  life  may  have  sown 
the  seeds  of  disease  but,  if  so,  he  has  not  contributed 
to  such  a  condition  by  his  habits.  In  that  day  the 
soldiers  of  all  nations  were  addicted  to  brawling, 
drinking,  pillaging,  and  gambling.  But  these  prac 
tices  had  no  attraction  for  Smith.  His  sword  never 
lagged  in  the  scabbard  on  good  occasion  for  its  use, 
but  he  was  no  swashbuckler  seeking  unnecessary 
trouble;  he  drank  wine  sparingly  but  found  no 
pleasure  in  gluttony ;  he  paid  for  what  he  took,  even 
in  an  enemy's  country  and  counted  it  a  disgrace 
to  rob  a  defenceless  man;  in  the  matter  of  money, 
as  in  everything  else,  he  was  the  most  generous 
of  mortals  and  had  rather  hand  a  man  his  purse 

15 


FOREWORD 

than  to  win  that  of  the  other  by  dicing.  Withal  he 
did  not  set  himself  up  to  be  better  than  his  fellows 
and  we  have  the  testimony  of  two  of  his  countrymen, 
who  followed  him  through  the  wars  in  Transylvania, 
that  he  was  respected  and  beloved  by  his  comrades 
and  the  soldiers  under  his  command. 

Hitherto  Smith  has  been  associated  with  men 
whose  experience  was  greater  than  his  own.  They 
have  been  his  masters,  both  in  the  sense  of  teachers 
and  commanders.  As  a  subordinate  he  has  per 
formed  his  duties  so  well  as  to  call  forth  the  praise 
and  admiration  of  his  superiors.  Now  we  find  him 
going  out  to  a  land  which  is  equally  strange  to  him 
and  to  his  companions.  No  man  of  them  enjoys 
the  advantage  of  knowing  more  than  the  others 
about  those  distant  parts  and  their  people.  Rank 
and  money  will  count  for  little  in  the  new  life.  Each 
man's  worth  will  be  measured  by  his  character  and 
his  actions.  Under  such  conditions,  a  man  of 
Smith's  extraordinary  ability  must  sooner  or  later 
become  the  leader,  even  among  others  much  older 
than  himself. 

The  foundation  of  Virginia  and,  as  I  have  said, 
that  of  the  United  States  was  laid  by  Captain  John 
Smith  in  spite  of  tremendous  difficulties.  Some  of 
these  were  such  as  would  naturally  attend  the  settle 
ment  of  a  strange  land  among  hostile  inhabitants, 
but  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  greater  part 
of  them  were  due  to  the  incompetence  of  the  colo- 

16 


FOREWORD 

nists  and  their  constant  quarrels  among  themselves. 
More  than  once  they  brought  affairs  to  such  a  pass 
that  nothing  but  the  prompt  and  energetic  action 
of  Smith  saved  the  colony  from  total  destruction. 

These  differences  broke  out  before  they  had 
reached  the  shores  of  America,  and  we  see  Captain 
John  Smith  landed  in  chains,  a  prisoner  under  absurd 
charges  trumped  up  by  pettifoggers  who  are  envious 
of  his  evident  fitness  for  command  and  accuse  him 
of  a  design  to  usurp  it.  They  scheme  to  send  him 
back  to  England,  but  at  the  very  outset  they  learn 
that  they  cannot  dispense  with  the  services  of  this, 
the  ablest  man  among  them.  It  is  he  who  shows 
them  how  to  fortify  the  settlement.  He  repels  the 
attacks  of  the  Indians.  He  and  he  only,  dares  lead 
exploring  expeditions  into  unknown  regions.  Cap 
tured  by  the  most  powerful  chief  of  that  part  of  the 
country,  Smith  converts  him  into  an  ally.  He  makes 
treaties  with  the  surrounding  tribes  and  secures 
their  friendship  for  the  settlers.  Time  and  again, 
when  improvidence  has  brought  famine  upon  the 
colonists,  he  saves  them  from  starvation  by  pro 
curing  supplies  at  the  risk  of  his  life.  In  short  he 
continually  preserves  this  mixed  company  of  mal 
contents  and  incompetents  from  the  worst  conse 
quences  of  their  folly  and  controls  them  with  the 
firmness  and  tact  of  a  master.  In  his  dealings  with 
the  Indians,  he  carefully  avoids  unnecessary  blood 
shed  or  harshness,  frequently  sacrificing  prudence 
2  17 


FOREWORD 

at  the  dictate  of  humanity.  Yet  he  gained  the 
respect  of  the  savages  by  his  courage,  steadfastness, 
honesty  and — when  occasion  demanded — by  the 
weight  of  his  strong  arm,  for  Captain  John  Smith 
was  no  less  stern  than  just. 

In  the  days  when  news  traveled  slowly  and  was 
often  delivered  by  word  of  mouth,  the  truth  of  dis 
tant  events  was  hard  to  ascertain,  and  great  men 
were  frequently  the  victims  of  malice  and  envy. 
Smith,  like  many  another,  failed  to  receive  at  the 
hands  of  his  countrymen  the  honor  and  recognition 
which  he  deserved.  They  had  been  misled  by  ex 
travagant  fables  of  the  wealth  of  America  and  were 
disappointed  that  Smith  did  not  send  home  cargoes 
of  gold,  spices,  and  other  things  which  the  country 
did  not  produce.  False  tales  of  his  tyranny  over  the 
colonists  and  his  cruelty  to  the  savages  had  preceded 
his  return  to  England,  and  he  found  himself  in  dis 
favor.  He  made  two  voyages  to  New  England,  as 
he  called  the  region  which  still  bears  that  name,  but 
little  came  of  them.  This  was  mainly  on  account 
of  the  determination  of  the  promoters  to  search  for 
gold  lodes  where  none  existed.  Smith  with  rare 
foresight  strove  to  persuade  his  contemporaries  that 
they  had  better  develop  commerce  in  the  products  of 
the  sea  and  the  field.  Few  would  listen  to  him, 
however,  whilst  the  rich  argosies  of  Spain,  freighted 
with  ore  from  South  America,  inflamed  their  minds 
with  visions  of  similar  treasures  in  the  north.  The 

18 


FOREWORD 

spirit  of  speculation  had  taken  possession  of  the 
country.  Smith  could  obtain  money  for  none  but 
wild  or  dishonest  ventures  and  in  such  he  would 
not  engage.  His  generous  soul  disdained  the  pur 
suit  of  mere  wealth,  and  we  see  him,  after  having 
"  lived  near  thirty-seven  years  in  the  midst  of  wars, 
pestilence,  and  famine,  by  which  many  a  hundred 
thousand  died  "  about  him,  passing  his  last  days  in 
the  comparative  poverty  which  had  been  his  condi 
tion  through  life.  Captain  John  Smith  had  not  yet 
reached  the  prime  of  life — indeed,  he  was  hardly 
more  than  forty  years  of  age — when  he  was  com 
pelled  to  retire  from  active  life.  Despairing  of 
honorable  employment,  he  settled  down  to  write 
the  many  books  that  issued  from  his  pen.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  surmise  what  valuable  services  he 
might,  with  better  opportunity,  have  performed  for 
his  country,  during  this  last  decade  of  his  life.  The 
time  was  well  spent,  however,  that  he  occupied  in 
the  composition  of  his  life  and  historical  works.  He 
is  a  clear  and  terse  writer.  We  are  seldom  at  a  loss 
to  fully  understand  him,  and  the  only  complaint  that 
we  feel  disposed  to  make  against  Captain  John  Smith 
as  a  writer  is  that  he  too  often  fails  to  give  an 
account  of  his  own  part  in  the  stirring  events  which 
he  records.  In  fact  he  combined  with  the  modesty 
usually  associated  with  true  greatness,  the  self- 
confidence  of  the  man  whose  ultimate  reliance  is 
upon  an  all-powerful  Providence.  "  If  you  but 

10 


FOREWORD 

truly  consider,"  he  writes  in  the  history  of  Virginia, 
"how  many  strange  accidents  have  befallen  these 
plantations  and  myself,  you  cannot  but  conceive 
God's  infinite  mercy  both  to  them  and  to  me  .  .  . 
Though  I  have  but  my  labor  for  my  pains,  have 
I  not  much  reason  publicly  and  privately  to  acknowl 
edge  it  and  to  give  good  thanks  ?  " 

Few  men  have  compassed  in  fifty  years  of  life 
so  much  of  noble  action  and  inspiring  example  as 
did  John  Smith.  He  died,  as  he  had  lived,  a  God 
fearing,  honorable  gentleman,  rich  in  the  conscious 
ness  of  a  life  well  spent  and  in  the  respect  of  all 
who  knew  him.  He  was  a  connecting  link  between 
the  old  world  and  the  new,  and  we,  no  less  than 
England,  should  keep  his  memory  green. 


THE   SOLDIER   OF 
FORTUNE 


John  Smith 

Gentleman  Adventurer 
i. 

WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL  THERE'S  A  WAY 


JACK  SMITH  is  INTRODUCED  TO  THE  READER — HE  TAKES  PART 

IN  THE  REJOICING  AT  THE  DEFEAT  OF  THE  SPANISH  ARMADA 
— HlS  RELATIONS  TO  THE  SONS  OF  LORD  WlLLOUGHBY — HE 
RUNS  AWAY  FROM  SCHOOL  AND  SELLS  HIS  BOOKS  AND 
SATCHEL — HE  IS  STARTING  FOR  LONDON  WHEN  HIS  FATHER 
DIES — HE  IS  APPRENTICED  TO  A  MERCHANT  AND  SHIPOWNER 
— HE  TIRES  OF  LIFE  AT  THE  DESK  AND  DESERTS  THE  COUNT 
ING-HOUSE — HlS  GUARDIAN  CONSENTS  TO  HIS  GOING  INTO 
THE  WORLD  AND  FURNISHES  HIM  WITH  TEN  SHILLINGS — 
JACK  TAKES  THE  ROAD  TO  LONDON  WITH  A  BUNDLE  ON  HIS 
BACK — HE  MEETS  PEREGRINE  WlLLOUGHBY. 

IT  was  the  day  following  that  memorable  Mon 
day  in  August,  1588,  when  the  English  fleet  scat 
tered  the  galleons  and  galleasses  of  Spain  and  Por 
tugal  and  chased  them  into  the  North  Sea.  The 
bells  were  pealing  from  every  steeple  and  church 
tower  in  Merry  England,  whilst  beacon  fires  flashed 
their  happy  tidings  along  the  chain  of  hill-tops  from 
Land's  End  to  John  O'Groats.  The  country  was 

23 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

wild  with  joy  at  the  glorious  victory  over  the  Great 
Armada,  and  well  it  might  be,  for  never  was  a  fight 
more  gallant  nor  a  cause  more  just.  It  was  night 
and  long  past  the  hour  when  the  honest  citizens 
of  Good  Queen  Bess's  realm  were  wont  to  seek 
their  couches  and  well-earned  repose,  but  this  night 
excitement  ran  too  high  to  admit  of  the  thought  of 
sleep. 

In  the  little  village  of  Willoughby,  Master  Gard 
ner,  portly  and  red- faced,  was  prepared  to  keep  the 
D'Eresby  Arms  open  until  daylight  despite  law  and 
custom.  The  villagers  who  passed  up  and  down  the 
one  street  of  the  hamlet  exchanging  greetings  and 
congratulations  had  more  than  a  patriotic  interest  in 
the  great  event,  for  at  least  half  of  them  had  sons 
or  brothers  amongst  the  sturdy  souls  who  had 
flocked  from  every  shire  and  town  to  their  country's 
defence  at  the  first  call  for  help. 

Beside  the  fountain  in  the  market  place,  interested 
spectators  of  the  scene,  stood  a  lusty  lad  and  an 
elderly  man,  bowed  by  broken  health. 

"  The  Lord  be  praised  that  He  hath  let  me  live 
to  see  this  glorious  day,"  said  the  man,  reverently 
and  with  a  tremor  in  his  voice.  "  Our  England  hath 
trounced  the  proud  Don,  my  son.  I'  faith!  'tis 
scarce  to  be  believed  that  our  little  cockle-shells 
should  overmatch  their  great  vessels  of  war.  Thank 
the  Lord,  lad,  that  thou  wast  born  in  a  land  that 
breeds  men  as  staunch  as  the  stuff  from  which  their 

24 


WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL 

ships  are  fashioned.  If  one  who  served — with  some 
distinction  if  I  say  it — under  the  great  Sir  Francis, 
might  hazard  a  prediction,  I  would  say  that  the  sun 
of  England  hath  risen  over  the  seas  never  to  set." 

"Would  I  had  been  there,  Sir!"  cried  the  boy 
with  eyes  aglow. 

"  Thou,  manikin !  "  replied  his  father  smiling, 
as  he  patted  the  bare  head.  "  Thou !  But  it  glad 
dens  my  heart  that  a  Smith  of  Willoughby  fought 
with  Drake  on  the  Revenge  in  yester  battle  and  I'll 
warrant  that  my  brother  William  demeaned  himself 
as  becomes  one  of  our  line." 

"  And  thus  will  I  one  day,"  said  the  lad  earnestly. 

"  Nay,  nay  child ! "  quickly  rejoined  the  man. 
"  Harbor  not  such  wild  designs  John,  for  thou  art 
cast  for  a  farmer.  Thou  must  train  thy  hand  to 
the  plow  and  so  dismiss  from  thy  mind  all  thought 
of  the  sea.  Come,  let  us  return.  Thy  mother  will 
be  aweary  waiting." 

Perhaps  it  is  not  strange  that  Master  George 
Smith,  who  had  followed  the  sea  in  his  younger 
days,  should  have  sought  to  dissuade  his  son  from 
thought  of  a  similar  course.  The  career  of  adven 
ture  had  not  resulted  in  any  improvement  of  the 
father's  fortune.  On  the  contrary,  he  had  finally 
returned  home  with  empty  pockets  and  wrecked 
health  to  find  the  farm  run  down  and  the  mother 
whom  he  had  loved  most  dearly,  dead.  Now,  feel 
ing  that  but  few  more  years  of  life  remained  to 

25 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

him,  it  was  his  aim  to  improve  the  property  and 
his  hope  that  John  would  grow  up  to  be  a  thrifty 
farmer  and  take  care  of  his  mother  and  the  younger 
children. 

Master  George  Smith  came  of  a  family  of  armi- 
gers,  or  gentlemen,  and  was  accounted  a  well-to-do 
farmer  in  those  parts.  His  holding  lay  within  the 
estate  of  the  Baron  Willoughby,  the  Lord  of  the 
Manor,  and  he  held  his  lands  in  perpetuity  on  what 
was  called  a  quit  rent.  This  may  have  consisted 
of  the  yearly  payment  of  a  few  shillings,  a  firkin 
of  butter,  or  a  flitch  of  bacon — any  trifle  in  short 
which  would  suffice  to  indicate  the  farmer's  acknowl 
edgment  of  the  Baron  as  his  overlord. 

In  the  earlier  feudal  period,  lands  were  granted 
in  consideration  of  military  service.  The  nobleman 
received  his  broad  acres  from  the  king  upon  con 
dition  of  bringing  a  certain  number  of  armed  re 
tainers  into  the  field  whenever  summoned.  The 
lord,  in  order  to  have  the  necessary  retainers  always 
at  command,  divided  up  his  domain  into  small  hold 
ings  amongst  men  who  pledged  themselves  to  join 
his  banner  when  called  upon.  As  a  reminder  of  his 
obligation,  each  retainer  was  required  to  make  some 
slight  payment  to  his  lord  every  year,  and  this  was 
deemed  an  acquittance  of  rent.  In  the  reign  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  feudal  tenure — that  is  the  holding 
of  lands  in  consideration  of  military  service — had 
ceased  to  exist,  but  the  custom  of  paying  quit  rent 

26 


WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL 

continued  and  it  is  observed  in  many  parts  of  Eng 
land  to  this  day. 

Master  Smith  sent  his  son  to  the  grammar  school 
in  the  neighboring  village  of  Alford.  It  was  per 
haps  one  of  the  many  schools  of  the  kind  founded 
by  the  wise  young  king,  Edward  the  Sixth,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  great  mass  of  his  subjects  who  could 
not  afford  to  have  their  sons  educated  at  the  more 
expensive  colleges.  John  was  an  apt  scholar  and 
made  good  progress,  but  even  in  early  boyhood  his 
mind  was,  as  he  tells  us,  "  set  upon  brave  adven 
ture."  And  so,  although  he  applied  himself  dili 
gently  to  learning' whilst  at  school,  he  was  impatient 
to  cut  loose  from  his  books  and  go  into  the  world  of 
action. 

This  is  not  difficult  to  understand  when  we  con 
sider  the  lad's  temperament  and  the  circumstances 
in  which  he  was  placed.  Willoughby  and  Alford 
were  on  the  coast.  The  people  were  for  the  most 
part  sea-faring  men.  Many  of  them  made  voyages 
to  the  continent  of  Europe  and  some  had  visited 
more  distant  parts.  Like  most  seamen,  they  were 
doubtless  always  ready  to  tell  of  their  experiences, 
and  we  may  be  sure  that  little  Jack  Smith  was  an 
eager  listener  to  their  yarns. 

He  was  nine  years  of  age  when  England  throbbed 
with  excitement  at  the  approach  of  the  great  Armada 
of  Spain.  He  saw  all  the  able-bodied  men  of  his 
village  hurrying  south  to  join  their  country's  de- 

27 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

fenders,  and  without  doubt  he  wished  that  he  were 
old  enough  to  go  with  them.  A  few  weeks  later, 
the  gallant  men  of  Willoughby  came  home  to  harvest 
their  fields,  undisturbed  by  fear  of  an  invasion  of 
the  Dons.  Every  one  of  them  had  done  his  full 
share  in  the  fight.  Jack's  uncle  had  served  on 
Francis  Drake's  ship.  That  fierce  sea-hawk  was  in 
the  thick  of  the  strife  and  it  was  a  brave  story  that 
Master  William  Smith  had  to  relate  to  his  delighted 
nephew. 

As  the  lad  grew  older,  he  began  to  read  of  the 
glorious  deeds  of  his  countrymen  in  former  days, 
stories  of  battle  and  adventure  on  land  and  sea,  of 
knights  and  sea  captains,  of  shipwreck  and  discovery. 
Books  were  costly  and  hard  to  come  by  in  those 
days  and  very  few  would  be  found  in  the  home  of 
even  a  prosperous  farmer.  But  Jack  Smith  was 
fortunate  in  the  fact  that  Robert  and  Peregrine, 
the  sons  of  Lord  Willoughby,  were  his  schoolfellows 
and  playmates.  Through  them  he  had  access  to 
the  castle  with  its  grand  hall  full  of  armor  and 
weapons,  its  gallery  of  old  portraits,  and  above  all 
its  library,  containing  many  of  the  kind  of  books 
from  which  he  derived  the  greatest  pleasure. 

More  than  that,  Lord  Willoughby  was  one  of  the 
most  renowned  warriors  of  his  day.  On  the  Con 
tinent  his  name  was  linked  with  those  of  Sir  Philip 
Sidney  and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  His  feats*  of  arms 
were  recorded  by  historians  and  sung  in  ballads. 


WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL 

One  of  these,  which  you  may  find  in  a  curious  old 
book  named  "  Percy's  Reliques,"  commences  thus : 

"The   fifteenth   day   of   July, 

With  glistening  spear  and  shield, 
A  famous  fight  in  Flanders, 

Was  foughten  in  the  field. 
The  most  courageous  officers 

Were  English  captains  three, 
But  the  bravest  man  in  battel 

Was  the  brave  Lord  Willoughbie." 

This  song  was  composed  at  about  the  time  that 
Jack  was  at  school,  and  you  may  depend  upon  it 
that  he  with  every  one  else  in  Willoughby  sang  it, 
for  they  were  all  right  proud  of  their  lord. 

Lady  Willoughby  was,  of  course,  fond  of  recount 
ing  her  husband's  brave  exploits.  He  was  at  this 
time  fighting  in  the  Low  Countries,  and  at  every 
opportunity  he  sent  her  word  of  the  adventures  that 
befell  him.  Parts  of  these  letters  she  would  read  to 
her  sons,  and  Jack  was  often  present.  At  other 
times  she  would  sit  in  a  large  oaken  chair  before  the 
great  fireplace  in  the  hall,  the  three  lads  and  two 
huge  stag-hounds  grouped  about  her  feet  in  the 
ruddy  light  of  the  log  fire.  Many  a  delightful  even 
ing  was  thus  spent,  the  stately  lady  telling  of  the 
stirring  deeds  performed  by  her  lord  and  the  boys 
listening  with  breathless  interest. 

During  one  winter  the  little  circle  received  a  wel 
come  addition  in  the  son  of  Count  Ployer.  The 

29 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

young  Frenchman  was  in  England  for  the  purpose  of 
finishing  his  education.  His  father  was  a  friend  of 
Lord  Willoughby  and  in  company  with  the  latter  was 
fighting  in  the  Low  Countries.  The  young  noble 
man  was  thus  in  a  position  to  contribute  his  share 
to  the  stories  of  military  adventure  in  which  they 
were  all  so  deeply  interested. 

As  he  walked  home  in  the  dark  after  one  of  these 
recitals,  Jack  would  flourish  his  staff  and  shout 
words  of  command  to  imaginary  followers,  or  tilt 
at  a  bush,  or  wage  a  furious  duel  with  a  milestone. 
The  baying  of  "  Sir  Roger,"  the  old  watchdog  at 
the  homestead,  would  recall  him  to  his  senses,  and 
he  would  steal  up  to  his  truckle  bed  in  the  attic 
wishing  that  he  were  a  man  and  his  own  master. 

By  the  time  Jack  reached  the  age  of  thirteen,  the 
desire  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  world  had  become 
too  strong  to  be  longer  resisted.  His  mother  was 
dead,  his  brother  and  sister  were  younger  than  him 
self  and  his  father's  mind  was  still  set  upon  making 
him  a  farmer.  There  was  no  one  to  whom  he  could 
turn  for  advice  or  assistance  and  so,  with  the  self- 
reliance  which  he  displayed  through  after-life,  Jack 
determined  to  take  matters  into  his  own  hands. 
The  only  things  of  any  value  which  he  possessed 
were  his  school  books  and  satchel.  These  he  sold 
for  a  few  shillings.  With  this  money  in  his  pocket 
he  was  on  the  point  of  setting  out  for  London,  when 
the  sudden  death  of  his  father  upset  his  plan. 

30 


WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL 

Master  Smith  left  the  farm  to  his  son  John,  but 
placed  it  and  the  boy  in  the  hands  of  a  Master 
Metham,  who  was  to  act  as  guardian  of  both  until 
such  time  as  Jack  should  attain  the  legal  age  to 
inherit.  This  Master  Metham  was  a  trader,  and 
he  thought  that  he  was  doing  very  well  by  Jack  when 
he  put  him  in  the  way  of  learning  business.  He 
apprenticed  the  lad  to  Master  Thomas  Sendall,  a 
shipowner  and  merchant  of  the  neighboring  sea 
port  of  Lynn.  At  first  this  arrangement  was  decid 
edly  to  Jack's  liking,  for  his  guardian  held  out  the 
prospect  of  voyages  to  the  many  foreign  countries 
visited  by  Master  Sendall's  vessels.  But  in  this 
Jack  was  disappointed.  Sailor-boys  his  master 
could  easily  get,  but  it  was  not  such  a  ready  matter 
to  find  a  bright  youngster  for  work  in  the  counting- 
house.  So  Jack  found  himself  pinned  down  to  a 
desk  in  sight  of  the  busy  wharves  and  shipping. 
Here  for  some  months  he  sat  chafing  at  the  inactivity 
and  at  length  he  determined  to  run  away. 

One  night  he  slipped  out  of  the  warehouse  in 
which  he  slept  and,  with  his  bundle  of  clothes  slung 
on  a  stick  over  his  shoulder,  started  for  Willoughby, 
which  he  reached  after  a  few  days'  tramp.  Jack 
went  boldly  up  to  his  guardian's  house  and  told  him 
that  he  had  run  away  from  his  master,  feeling 
assured  that  there  was  little  chance  of  travel  whilst 
he  remained  in  his  employment. 

"  Nor  will  I  return,"  said  Jack  in  conclusion, 
31 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

"  for  I  am  determined  to  see  the  world  and  I  beg 
of  you  to  supply  me  with  the  means."  Now  this 
speech  smacked  somewhat  of  over-confidence,  for  in 
those  days  truant  apprentices  were  severely  dealt 
with  and  Jack  was  liable  to  have  been  sent  back 
to  his  master,  who  might  then  have  flogged  him. 
However,  Master  Metham  knew  that  his  friend 
Sendall  would  not  wish  to  be  troubled  with  an 
unwilling  apprentice,  and  a  plan  occurred  to  him 
for  curing  Jack  of  his  desire  to  roam.  His  idea 
was  to  give  the  lad  so  little  money  that  he  could  not 
go  very  far  with  it  and  would  soon  experience  a 
taste  of  hardship.  This  Master  Metham  thought 
would  bring  his  ward  home,  eager  to  return  to  his 
desk  and  settle  down  to  the  sober  life  of  a  merchant's 
clerk.  The  scheme  might  have  worked  very  well 
with  many  boys,  but  Jack  was  not  of  the  kind  that 
turn  back. 

"  As  you  will,"  said  Master  Metham,  after  some 
thought.  "  Here  is  the  money,  and  now  go  where 
you  please." 

With  that  he  handed  our  hero  ten  shillings. 

"  What  is  this  ? "  cried  Jack  in  amazement. 
"  Ten  shillings !  Surely  you  jest  Master  Metham." 

"  Not  so,"  replied  his  guardian,  assuming  a  stern 
air.  "  Take  the  money  and  begone,  or  return  it  to 
me  and  go  back  to  Master  Sendall  within  the  hour." 

Jack  thrust  the'  coins  into  his  pocket  and  turned 
on  his  heel  without  another  word.  The  next  minute 

32 


WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL 

he  was  striding  resolutely  along  the  highroad  to 
London. 

As  Master  Metham  watched  the  receding  figure 
of  his  ward  from  the  window,  he  could  not  help 
feeling  admiration  for  the  boy's  pluck,  but  a  grim 
smile  played  about  the  merchant's  lips  as  he  said  to 
himself,  "  And  I  mistake  not,  yon  humorist  will  be 
coming  back  in  a  fortnight  or  less,  with  pinched  face 
and  tightened  waistbelt." 

But  Master  Metham  proved  to  be  a  poor  prophet. 
Several  years  passed  before  he  set  eyes  on  Jack 
again. 

The  journey  to  the  capital  was  not  unpleasant. 
The  time  was  early  summer,  when  the  fields  are 
clad  in  the  greenest  grass,  with  a  thick  sprinkling 
of-  wild  flowers  and  the  hedgerows  give  off  the 
sweet  smell  of  honeysuckle  and  violets.  Shade 
trees  lined  the  road,  so  that  Jack  was  able  to  push 
along,  even  in  the  noonday  heat,  without  serious 
discomfort.  He  was  a  strong,  healthy  lad,  to  whom 
a  tramp  of  twenty  miles  in  a  day  was  no  great  mat 
ter.  Often  a  passing  wagoner  gave  him  a  lift  and 
sometimes  shared  with  him  a  meal  of  bread  and 
bacon  washed  down  with  a  draught  of  home-brewed 
ale.  Milkmaids,  going  home  with  their  pails  brim 
ful,  would  offer  him  a  drink,  and  occasionally  a 
farmer  would  ask  him  to  the  house  to  join  in  the 
family  meal.  He  never  failed  to  find  a  lodging  for 
the  night  if  it  was  only  in  a  barn  or  a  stable.  Thus 
3  33 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

Jack,  with  a  thriftiness  which  would  have  chagrined 
Master  Metham,  had  he  known  of  it,  contrived  to 
husband  his  little  store  of  money  and,  indeed,  he 
had  not  broken  into  it  when  a  happy  incident  relieved 
him  of  all  further  anxiety  on  the  score  of  ways 
and  means. 

He  was  plodding  along  one  day  when  two  horse 
men  overtook  him.  They  looked  back  in  passing 
and  one  of  them  suddenly  reined  in  his  horse  and 
turned  it  round. 

"  Not  Jack  Smith !  "  he  cried  in  evident  delight. 
"  Whither  away  comrade  ?  " 

"  I  am  setting  out  on  my  travels,  Peregrine," 
replied  Jack,  trying  to  put  on  the  air  of  a  man  of  the 
world. 

"  And  I  also,"  said  the  son  of  Lord  Willoughby, 
for  it  was  he,  "but  come,  you  must  join  us,  and 
we  can  exchange  the  news  as  we  ride  along."  He 
ordered  one  of  the  two  grooms  who  followed  them 
to  give  his  horse  over  to  Jack  and  the  other  to  take 
the  wayfarer's  bundle.  Having  presented  his  young 
friend  to  the  tutor  and  temporary  guardian  who 
accompanied  him,  Peregrine  drew  alongside  of  Jack 
whilst  the  latter  told  his  story.  The  young  lord  in 
turn  explained  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  Orleans 
in  France,  there  to  join  his  elder  brother  and  com 
plete  his  studies  abroad  after  the  manner  of  young 
noblemen  of  that  day — and  of  this,  for  that  matter. 
He  insisted  that  Jack  should  accompany  him  as  his 

34 


WHERE  THERE'S  A  WILL 

guest,  saying  that  it  would  be  time  enough  to  think 
of  other  plans  after  they  should  have  reached  their 
destination. 

As  we  see  Jack  thus  fairly  launched  upon  his  ad 
ventures,  we  cannot  help  smiling  to  think  how  it 
would  have  surprised  good  Master  Metham  to  learn 
how  far  ten  shillings  could  carry  our  hero. 


II. 

LONDON  TOWN  IN  SHAKESPEARE'S  DAY 


OLD  LONDON  AS  IT  LOOKED  FROM  HIGHGATE  HILL — THE  TRAV 
ELERS  PUT  UP  AT  "¥E  SWANNE"  NEAR  NEW  GATE — THE 
START  FOR  WHITE  HALL  TO  SEE  SlR  FRANCIS  WALSINGHAM 
AND  THE  QUEEN — THEIR  WONDERMENT  AT  THE  STRANGE 
HOUSE  SIGNS — THE  SAUCY  APPRENTICES  AROUSE  THEIR 
ANGER — OLD  PAULE'S  CATHEDRAL  AND  SOME  CELEBRATED 
MANSIONS — THE  ROYAL  PALACE  AND  A  STATE  PROCESSION 
— THEY  GO  TO  THE  GLOBE,  WILL  SHAKESPEARE'S  THEATRE — 
THE  BOYS  SEE  THEIR  FIRST  PLAY  IN  COMPANY  WITH  DOCTOR 
HOLLISTER — OLD  LONDON  BRIDGE,  ITS  CURIOUS  HOUSES  AND 
ITS  GRIZZLEY  ORNAMENTS. 

WHEN  our  travelers  reached  the  top  of  Highgate 
Hill,  from  which  an  extensive  view  could  be  had  in 
every  direction,  they  halted  to  survey  the  scene. 
London  lay  below,  stretched  along  the  banks  of  the 
Thames,  and  still  several  miles  distant.  In  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign  it  was  a  small  place  compared  with 
what  it  is  today.  Its  greatest  distance  across  was 
then  less  than  two  miles,  whereas,  now  it  is  nearly 
thirty.  Nevertheless,  London  was  by  far  the  great 
est  city  in  England  and  amongst  the  largest  in  the 
world. 

Jack  and  his  companions  looked  down  upon  a 
closely  packed  collection  of  buildings  within  a  wall 

36 


LONDON  TOWN  IN  SHAKESPEARE'S  DAY 

whose  moat,  no  longer  needed  for  defence,  had  be 
come  half  choked  with  refuse  and  rank  vegetation. 
The  streets  were  so  narrow  that,  with  the  exception 
of  Cheapside,  which  traversed  the  city  from  end 
to  end,  they  were  not  discernible  at  that  distance. 
The  mass  of  red-tiled  roofs  was  broken  here  and 
there  by  a  market  place  or  a  churchyard  and  agree 
ably  relieved  by  the  gardens  which  lay  at  the  backs 
of  most  of  the  houses.  One  hundred  and  more 
spires  of  parish  churches  shot  up  in  relief  against 
the  background  of  the  silvery  river,  for  in  those 
days  the  Thames  was  a  clear  and  pure  stream  upon 
which  swans  disported  'even  below  London  Bridge. 

Scattering  suburbs  extended  from  the  walls  of  the 
city  in  several  directions.  In  Elizabeth's  time,  the 
noblemen  and  wealthier  citizens  had  deserted  their 
old-time  palaces  and  mansions  in  the  filthy  and 
crowded  metropolis  for  healthier  residences  among 
the  adjacent  fields.  Perhaps,  Baynard  Castle,  men 
tioned  in  the  opening  scene  of  Shakespeare's  Richard 
the  Third,  was  the  only  one  of  the  old  homes  of  the 
nobility  occupied  by  its  owner  at  that  time.  Most 
of  the  others  had  been  given  over  to  tenements  in 
which  the  poorer  people  'crowded.  A  large  part 
of  the  London  that  the  boys  gazed  upon  in  wonder 
and  admiration  was  destroyed  by  the  Great  Fire  in 
the  year  1666. 

It  must  be  remembered  that,  despite  the  compari 
son  we  have  made  of  the  London  of  Shakespeare's 

37 


5 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

time  and  the  city  of  today,  the  former  was  relatively 
of  greater  importance  than  the  latter  and  exercised 
a  greater  influence  on  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 
It  was  the  residence  of  the  monarch  and  of  all  the 
important  members  of  the  government.  Every  per 
son  of  note  in  the  kingdom  had  a  town  house.  By 
far  the  greater  part  of  the  business  of  the  country 
was  transacted  at  the  capital.  It  set  the  fashion 
and  furnished  the  news  for  the  whole  island.  Lon 
don  was,  in  short,  the  heart  and  brains  of  England 
at  this  period. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  when  the  travelers,  tired 
and  hungry,  passed  through  New  Gate  which,  like 
Lud  Gate  and  some  others  of  the  many  entrances 
to  the  city,  was  used  as  a  prison.  A  little  later  and 
they  must  have  remained  at  one  of  the  inns  outside 
the  walls  for  the  night,  or  have  left  their  horses  and 
entered  by  the  postern,  for  the  portcullis  was  closed 
at  sundown.  They  put  up  at  "  Ye  Swanne "  on 
Cheapside  and  hardly  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
gate.  It  was  a  hostelry  much  frequented  by  north- 
country  gentlemen.  Master  Marner,  the  host,  gave 
them  the  best  accommodations  his  house  afforded  for 
the  sake  of  Lord  Willoughby,  who  had  often  been 
his  guest  and,  in  fact,  always  lodged  with  him  when 
in  London.  That  nobleman,  long  accustomed  to  the 
freedom  and  frank  comradeship  of  the  camp,  found 
himself  much  more  at  ease  in  one  of  Master  Mar- 
ner's  cosy  rooms  than  in  a  chamber  at  Whitehall. 


Neither  of  the  lads  had  ever  been  in  London,  and 
after  they  had  supped  in  the  common  room — which 
corresponded  to  the  cafe  of  a  modern  hotel — they 
were  eager  to  go  out  and  see  the  great  sights  of 
which  they  had  heard  so  much.  But  to  this  Doctor 
Hollister,  the  tutor,  would  not  consent,  for  in  those 
days  the  capital  was  infested  by  footpads  and  brawl 
ers  after  nightfall  and  the  patrols  of  the  watch 
afforded  scant  protection  to  wayfarers  in  the 
unlighted  streets.  The  explanation  of  all  this  only 
whetted  the  desire  of  the  lads  to  go  abroad  on  the 
chance  of  witnessing  some  duel  or  fracas  but  Pere 
grine,  at  least,  was  under  the  authority  of  the  Doctor 
and  Jack  by  accepting  his  friend's  hospitality  had 
placed  himself  in  a  similar  position.  So  they 
restrained  their  impatience  and  went  early  to  bed  as 
all  honest  folk  did  at  that  period. 

The  following  morning  Doctor  Hollister,  accom 
panied  by  his  young  charges,  set  out  for  Whitehall 
carrying  a  letter  from  Lady  Willoughby  to  Sir 
Francis  Walsingham.  The  royal  palace  was  at  the 
extreme  western  end  of  London,  whilst  the  Swan 
Inn  stood  hard  by  New  Gate,  at  the  eastern  extrem 
ity,  so  that  in  order  to  reach  their  destination  the 
travelers  had  to  traverse  the  full  extent  of  the  city. 
A  citizen  of  London  at  that  time,  having  such  a 
distance  to  cover,  would  most  likely  have  taken  a 
wherry  at  one  of  the  many  water  stairs,  where  num 
bers  of  such  boats  were  in  waiting  at  all  hours  of  the 

39 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

day  and  night.  Jack  and  Peregrine,  eager  as  they 
were  to  see  the  sights  of  the  metropolis,  would  not 
hear  of  anything  but  walking  and  so  the  party  set 
out  at  an  early  hour,  taking  their  way  along  Cheap- 
side,  or  the  Cheap  as  it  was  then  called. 

Everything  they  saw  was  novel  to  the  boys, 
neither  of  whom  had  ever  been  in  a  town  larger 
than  Lynn.  The  gable  roofs  and  projecting  upper 
stories  of  the  houses  were  much  like  what  they  were 
accustomed  to  at  home,  but  they  had  seldom  seen 
one  of  three  stories  and  here  were  many  rising 
to  four  and  five.  In  the  narrow  side  streets  which 
they  passed,  the  dwellings  approached  so  closely  that 
persons  sitting  at  their  upper  windows  might  easily 
converse  with  their  neighbors  across  the  way,  or 
even  shake  hands  with  them  by  leaning  out. 

Before  almost  every  house  hung  a  painted  board 
suspended  from  an  iron  bracket,  similar  to  the  sign 
of  the  "  D'Eresby  Arms  "  displayed  by  the  village 
tavern  at  Willoughby.  For  a  moment  the  boys 
thought  that  they  must  be  in  a  town  full  of  inns 
and  Doctor  Hollister  was  mightily  amused  by  the 
puzzled  expression  with  which  they  looked  from  one 
to  another  of  the  crude  and  curious  pictures.  The 
explanation  was  simple  enough  when  the  tutor  made 
it.  In  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  the  simple  device  of 
numbers  to  distinguish  the  different  houses  of  a 
street  had  not  yet  been  thought  of  and  so  one  saw 
all  manner  of  things  pictured  and  hung  over  the 

40 


entrances.  There  were  angels,  dragons,  castles, 
mountains,  Turks,  bears,  foxes,  birds,  books,  suns, 
mitres,  ships,  and  in  fact  every  conceivable  kind  of 
object.  So,  a  man  wishing  to  indicate  his  place 
of  abode  might  say :  "  I  lodge  with  the  widow  Toy, 
at  the  sign  of  the  Bell  in  Paule's  Churchyard  "  and, 
since  there  was  at  the  time  a  veritable  widow  Toy, 
living  in  a  house  on  the  east  side  of  the  churchyard 
and  distinguished  by  the  sign  of  a  Bell,  who  doubt 
less  took  in  lodgers  when  favorable  opportunity 
offered,  it  is  not  impossible  that  one  or  another  of  the 
acquaintances  made  by  our  party  during  their  stay 
in  London  uttered  precisely  such  a  remark  to  them. 

As  our  friends  passed  along  the  street,  apprentices 
standing  in  front  of  their  master's  shops  invited 
their  patronage  or  made  saucy  comments  upon  their 
appearance  for,  although  they  were  dressed  in  their 
best  clothes,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  a  country  tailor 
had  fashioned  their  garments. 

"  Ho  Richard !  Dick  Hopple ! "  cried  one  of 
these  prentices  to  an  acquaintance  across  the  street. 
"  Cast  thy  gaze  upon  his  worship  and  the  little  wor- 
shipfuls  going  to  Paule's  to  buy  a  sixtieth."  This 
was  an  allusion  to  the  lottery  under  royal  patronage 
which  was  conducted  in  a  booth  set  up  in  the  church 
yard  of  the  cathedral.  It  attracted  many  country 
men  to  the  capital,  who  could  generally  afford  to 
purchase  no  more  than  a  fractional  share,  perhaps 
one-tenth,  of  a  ticket. 

41 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

"  Peace  boy !  "  said  Doctor  Hollister,  sternly. 

"  Honprificabilitudinitatibus !  "  glibly  replied  the 
lad  with  a  mock  obeisance.  This  extraordinary 
word,  which  Shakespeare  had  put  into  the  mouth  of 
one  of  his  characters,  caught  the  fancy  of  the  Lon 
don  populace  as  a  similar  verbal  monstrosity — 
Cryptoconcodycyphernostamata — did  about  twenty- 
five  years  ago. 

Doctor  Hollister  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
restraining  the  boys  from  replying  to  these  gibes 
with  their  fists  and  Jack,  in  particular,  begged 
earnestly  to  be  permitted  to  "  lay  just  one  of  them 
by  the  heels."  But  the  Doctor  had  been  a  chorister 
of  Paule's  in  his  boyhood  and  he  knew  the  formid 
able  character  of  the  London  apprentices  and  how, 
at  the  cry  of  "  Clubs !  Clubs !  "  they  would  swarm 
with  their  staves  to  the  aid  of  one  of  their  number. 

Presently  they  came  to  the  great  cathedral,  and 
were  surprised  to  find  that  the  holy  edifice  was  used 
as  a  public  thoroughfare,  even  animals  being  driven 
across  its  nave,  whilst  hawkers  displayed  their  wares 
around  the  columns  and  gallants  and  gossips  lounged 
about  on  the  seats — all  this,  too,  during  the  celebra 
tion  of  divine  service.  The  lads  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  reverence  of  their  country  church 
were  shocked  at  the  sights  around  them  and  little 
disposed  to  linger  in  the  building. 

Leaving  the  churchyard  of  the  cathedral,  Doctor 
Hollister  led  the  way  down  Dowgate  Hill  to  the 

42 


LONDON  TOWN  IN  SHAKESPEARE'S  DAY 

water  front,  wishing  to  afford  the  boys  sight  of  two 
unusually  interesting  buildings.  One  of  these  was 
Baynard  Castle,  of  which  mention  has  already  been 
made,  but  the  other  had  the  greater  attraction  for 
Jack  on  account  of  being  the  residence  of  his  hero, 
Sir  Francis  Drake.  It  had  formerly  been  known  as 
Eber  House,  when  it  was  the  palace  of  Warwick, 
the  "  Kingmaker,"  whom  you  will  remember  as  the 
titular  character  of  "  The  Last  of  the  Barons." 
Later  the  place  was  occupied  by  that  "  false,  fleeting, 
perjured  Clarence  "  whose  dream  is  one  of  the  most 
impressive  passages  in  Shakespeare's  tragedy, 
Richard  the  Third. 

Passing  Westminster  and  the  little  village  of 
Charing  Cross,  our  travelers  came  upon  the  Palace 
of  Whitehall  fronting  upon  the  Thames  and  with 
Saint  James's  Park  at  its  back.  In  Elizabeth's  time 
this  royal  residence  was  the  scene  of  such  splendid 
entertainments  as  marked  its  occupancy  by  her 
father,  Henry  the  Eighth.  At  this  period  it  stood 
outside  of  London  on  the  outskirts  of  what  was 
the  distinct  city  of  Westminster. 

Sir  Francis  Walsingham  received  Doctor  Hollis- 
ter  kindly  and  promised  to  facilitate  the  journey  of 
the  party  to  France.  The  Queen  was  about  to  go 
to  the  royal  chapel  in  state  and  the  minister  secured 
a  favorable  position  from  which  the  country  visitors 
had  a  good  view  of  Elizabeth  and  her  attendants. 
In  the  meanwhile  a  secretary  was  instructed  to  write 

43 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

the  passports  and  letters  to  be  delivered  to  the  Doctor 
before  his  departure. 

The  royal  procession  appeared  to  the  sound  of 
trumpets  blown  by  six  heralds  who  walked  in  ad 
vance.  First,  after  them,  came  gentlemen  of  the 
court  and  noblemen,  richly  dressed  and  bareheaded ; 
next  the  Chancellor,  bearing  the  state  seal  in  a  red 
silk  purse,  on  one  side  of  him  an  official  carrying 
the  royal  scepter,  on  the  other  one  bearing  the  sword 
of  state  in  a  red  velvet  scabbard,  studded  with  golden 
fieur  de  Us.  Then  followed  the  Queen  with  majestic 
mien,  her  oval  face  fair  but  wrinkled ;  her  black  eyes 
small  but  pleasing.  Her  nose  was  somewhat  aquiline 
and  her  lips  thin  and  straight.  She  wore  false  hair 
of  bright  red  topped  by  a  small  crown. 

As  she  moved  slowly  along  between  lines  of  cour 
tiers  and  representatives  of  foreign  nations,  she 
spoke  graciously  to  one  and  another  and,  when 
occasion  needed,  with  fluency  in  French  or  Italian. 
When  one  spoke  to  her,  he  did  so  kneeling,  and 
whenever  she  turned  toward  a  group,  all  fell  upon 
their  knees.  It  was  these  ceremonies  that  made 
the  Court  such  an  irksome  place  to  bluff  soldiers 
such  as  Lord  Willoughby. 

The  Queen  was  guarded  on  each  side  by  the  gen 
tlemen  pensioners,  fifty  in  number,  with  gilt  battle 
axes.  Following  her  came  the  ladies  of  the  Court, 
for  the  most  part  dressed  in  handsome  gowns  of 
white  taffeta  or  some  other  rich  stuff. 

44 


LONDON  TOWN  IN  SHAKESPEARE'S  DAY 

In  the  antechamber  a  number  of  petitions  were 
presented  to  Her  Majesty,  who  received  them  gra 
ciously  amid  acclamations  of  "  Long  live  our 
Queen ! "  to  which  she  replied,  smiling,  "  I  thank 
you,  my  good  people !  " 

Upon  the  return  of  the  royal  party  from  the 
chapel,  Sir  Francis  Walsingham  ordered  a  meal, 
of  which  the  principal  features  were  roast  beef  .and 
ale,  to  be  set  before  Doctor  Hollister  and  his  charges. 
They  were  hungry  and  did  ample  justice  to  the  min 
ister's  hospitality.  Sir  Francis  then  handed  the 
Doctor  his  papers  and  wished  the  travelers  god 
speed  and  a  safe  return. 

It  was  high  noon  and  the  sight-seers  still  had  a 
good  half  of  the  day  before  them.  The  boys  had 
never  been  to  a  theatre — indeed,  there  were  none 
outside  of  London — and  the  Doctor  determined 
to  take  them  to  the  Globe  which,  under  the  manage 
ment  of  William  Shakespeare,  was  fast  becoming 
famous.  The  playhouse  stood  on  the  Surrey  side 
of  the  river  a  short  distance  above  the  bridge.  The 
party  took  boat  at  the  palace  stairs  and  were  quickly 
rowed  down  and  across  the  stream.  They  landed 
near  a  circular  tower-like  building,  topped  by  a 
flag-staff  and  ensign,  which  the  Doctor  informed 
them  was  their  destination.  At  that  period  plays 
were  performed  only  in  the  daytime  and  the  party 
was  just  in  time  for  a  performance.  The  enclosure 
— for  it  could  hardly  be  called  a  building— was  open 

45 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

to  the  sky.  Around  the  sides  were  tiers  of  seats 
which  accommodated  the  better  class  of  spectators 
whilst  the  "  groundlings  "  stood  in  the  central  space 
before  the  booth-like  erection  which  contained  the 
stage.  There  was  no  scenery,  though  the  costumes 
were  rich  and  various,  and  the  back  and  sides  of  the 
stage  were  occupied  by  young  gallants  seated  upon 
stools,  for  which  privilege  they  paid  sixpence  extra. 
The  audience  commented  freely  and  loudly  upon  the 
play  and  the  acting  and  not  infrequently  the  actors 
replied.  Boys  took  the  female  parts  and  bouquets 
had  not  come  into  use  to  express  favor,  but  an 
unpopular  actor  was  sometimes  subjected  to  a 
shower  of  ancient  eggs  and  rotten  vegetables  from 
the  pit. 

No  doubt  the  play,  crude  as  we  should  consider 
it,  was  a  source  of  wonder  and  delight  to  Jack  and 
Peregrine  who  had  never  seen  acting  more  preten 
tious  than  the  antics  of  the  village  mummers  at  the 
New  Year  festival. 

On  the  return  home  the  party  walked  over  London 
Bridge.  At  the  entrance  tower  they  were  startled 
to  see  the  heads  of  some  eight  or  ten  criminals  stuck 
on  the  ends  of  spears.  Two  of  these  were  quite 
fresh  and  had  a  peculiarly  ghastly  appearance  with 
their  eyes  staring  open  and  hair  blowing  in  the 
breeze.  But  their  attention  was  soon  distracted 
from  this  gruesome  sight  to  the  bridge  itself  which 
was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  structures  in  the 

46 


LONDON  TOWN  IN  SHAKESPEARE'S  DAY 

country.  It  was  entirely  built  over  by  houses  two 
and  three  stories  in  height.  Through  the  centre  ran 
an  arcade  like  a  tunnel  lined  with  shops.  This 
strange  viaduct,  therefore,  was  at  once  a  bridge  and 
a  street  as  well  as  a  roadway  for  heavy  wagons. 
In  the  stories  above  the  shops,  lived  the  owners  of 
the  latter.  They  were  also  occupied  by  offices  and 
in  a  few  instances  as  private  lodgings. 

Tired  as  the  boys  were  when  they  reached  their 
beds  that  night,  they  lay  talking  for  hours  of  the 
wonderful  sights  they  had  seen.  At  length  their 
remarks  came  in  snatches  and  with  mumbled  speech 
as  sleep  overtook  them  against  their  will. 

"  Jack,"  said  Peregrine,  drowsily,  "  if  you  were 
Lord  Mayor  of  London,  what  would  you  do?  " 

"  Give  myself  leave  to  fight  a  prentice,"  muttered 
our  hero,  with  closed  eyes. 


47 


III. 

THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 


JACK  GOES  TO  FRANCE  WITH  PEREGRINE — Is  PERSUADED  TO  TURN 

HOMEWARD — HE  STARTS  FOR  PARIS  AND  MEETS  DAVID  HOME 

— SEES  THE  CAPITAL  AND  SPENDS  HIS  MONEY — TAKES  BOAT 
ON  THE  SEINE  FOR  THE  COAST  AND  ARRIVES  WITHOUT  A 
PENNY  IN  HIS  POCKET — ENTERS  THE  SERVICE  OF  CAPTAIN 
DUXBURY  AND  BEGINS  TO  LEARN  THE  PRACTICE  OF  ARMS — 
SEES  SERVICE  IN  THE  ARMY  OF  HENRY  OF  NAVARRE — GOES 
To  THE  Low  COUNTRIES  AND  FIGHTS  AGAINST  THE  SPAN 
IARDS — SAILS  FOR  SCOTLAND  AND  is  SHIPWRECKED — 
RETURNS  TO  WILLOUGHBY  AND  CONTINUES  HIS  TRAINING 
WITH  SlGNOR  POLALOGA. 

OUR  friends  arrived  at  Orleans  without  adventure 
or  mishap.  Sir  Robert  Bertie,  the  elder  son  of  Lord 
Willoughby  d'Eresby,  was  unaffectedly  pleased  to 
see  his  old  playmate,  Jack  Smith.  On  reflection, 
however,  and  after  consultation  with  Doctor  Hollis- 
ter,  he  decided  that  the  young  truant  could  not  do 
better  than  return  to  his  guardian.  When  a  few 
days  had  been  spent  in  seeing  the  sights  and  the 
tutor  had  intimated  that  it  was  time  the  young  noble 
men  settled  down  to  their  studies,  Robert  frankly' 
expressed  his  opinion  with  regard  to  Jack. 

Peregrine  was  moved  to  tears  at  the  thought  of 
losing  his  companion  and  thoughtlessly  charged  his 

48 


THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 

brother  with  a  selfish  desire  to  be  rid  of  their  guest 
"  Nay,"  said  Robert,  kindly  laying  his  hand  upon 
our  hero's  shoulder,  "Jack  knows  me  too  well  to 
believe  that.  In  truth  nothing  would  better  please 
me  than  that  he  should  stay  with  us,  but  he  has 
work  to  do  at  home.  No,  Willoughby  is  the  place 
for  thee  lad — and  would  I  were  going  with  thee. 
Tomorrow  we  see  Jack  started  on  his  way  Pere 
grine,  and  when  we  come  back  in  a  year  or  two 
it  shall  be  to  find  him  a  full-blown  farmer,  with 
a  buxom  wife  perchance." 

Jack  was  anything  but  pleased  at  the  prospect,  but 
he  had  too  much  sense  to  raise  an  objection  to  the 
suggestion,  and  besides  he  was  duly  grateful  for  the 
generous  hospitality  he  had  enjoyed  at  the  expense 
of  his  friends  for  some  weeks. 

The  following  morning  the  sons  of  Lord  Wil 
loughby  accompanied  Jack  for  some  distance  beyond 
the  town  on  the  first  stage  of  his  journey  to  Paris 
which  lay  about  seventy  miles  to  the  north  of 
Orleans.  When  at  length  they  bid  him  good-bye 
with  genuine  regret  at  parting,  Robert  put  a  well- 
filled  purse  into  his  hand  and  Peregrine  gave  him 
one  of  the  heavy,  cumbersome  pistols  that  were  then 
in  use.  It  was  the  first  weapon  that  Jack  ever  owned 
and  he  stuck  it  in  his  belt  with  a  great  deal  of 
satisfaction. 

A  few  years  later,  in  the  course  of  his  wanderings, 
Jack  accidentally  came  across  Robert  and  Peregrine 

4  49 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

Bertie  at  Siena  in  Italy.  There  they  lay  recovering 
from  severe  wounds  received  in  an  affair  that  re 
flected  greatly  to  their  honor.  After  that  meeting 
it  is  doubtful  if  the  paths  of  these  early  friends 
again  crossed  in  life,  but  the  young  sons  of  the 
famous  Lord  Willoughby  played  such  important 
parts  in  our  hero's  career  that  the  reader  will  surely 
be  interested  in  knowing  something  of  their  fate. 
In  1 60 1  Robert  succeeded  to  the  title  and  estates 
of  his  father  on  the  death  of  the  latter.  As  the 
twelfth  Baron  Willoughby  he  upheld  the  military 
prestige  of  the  family  and  added  fresh  laurels  to 
those  gathered  by  a  long  line  of  soldier  ancestors. 
He  was  created  Earl  Lindsay  in  the  reign  of  James 
the  First  and  during  the  civil  war  that  terminated  in 
the  execution  of  Charles  the  First,  he  held  the  post 
of  commander-in-chief  of  the  royal  forces  and  was 
mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Edgehill.  Pere 
grine  became  a  barrister — a  truly  strange  occupation 
for  a  Bertie  in  those  days — and  practised  law  with 
some  distinction  until  his  death  in  1640. 

We  left  our  young  hero  on  the  road  to  Paris.  His 
condition  was  very  different  from  that  in  which  he 
left  Willoughby  for  London,  but  he  had  set  out  upon 
that  journey  with  a  light  heart  and  abundant  hope. 
Now  he  was  plodding  towards  the  capital  of  France 
in  a  gloomy  state  of  mind.  The  idea  of  abandoning 
his  venture  and  returning  to  the  plow  or,  worse  yet, 
the  dingy  counting  house  of  Master  Sendall,  was 

50 


THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 

utterly  distasteful  to  him  and  his  pride  was  touched 
by  the  thought  of  so  lame  a  conclusion  to  the  boast 
ful  display  of  independence  he  had  made  to  his 
guardian.  Having  taken  Robert  Bertie's  money 
on  the  understanding  that  he  would  use  it  to  return 
to  England  he  felt  bound  to  do  so,  but  he  began  to 
wish  that  he  had  declined  the  gift  and  had  gone  on 
his  way  as  poor  in  purse  but  as  free  in  action  as  when 
he  turned  his  back  on  his  native  village.  Indeed, 
before  he  had  finished  his  supper  at  the  inn  where  he 
stopped  at  nightfall,  Jack  had  almost  decided  to 
retrace  his  steps  on  the  morrow,  hand  Robert  his 
purse  untouched  and  regain  his  freedom.  But  one 
of  those  chance  circumstances  that  lead  to  the  most 
important  results  in  the  lives  of  all  of  us,  decided 
the  matter  in  another  way. 

Only  persons  of  distinction,  who  were  willing  to 
pay  for  the  privilege,  occupied  private  rooms  in  the 
hostelries  of  those  days.  Jack  was  pleased  to  find  a 
fellow  countryman  sharing  his  bedchamber.  David 
Home,  for  such  was  the  young  man's  name,  proved 
to  be  an  adventurer  following  just  such  a  life  as 
our  hero  was  desirous  of  entering  upon.  He  was  a 
gentleman  of  good  family,  but  at  this  time  his  for 
tunes  were  at  a  very  low  ebb;  in  fact,  he  was  not 
only  penniless  but  weak  from  the  effects  of  a  recent 
fever.  Home  was  an  entertaining  talker  and  'de 
lighted  Jack  with  the  recital  of  his  exploits  and 
experiences.  Before  they  fell  asleep  it  had  been 

Si 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

agreed  that  they  should  continue  the  journey  to 
Paris  in  company.  This  they  did,  arriving  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days.  Home  knew  the  city  well, 
and  under  his  guidance  time  passed  quickly  in  sight 
seeing  and  amusement.  Since  their  meeting  Jack's 
purse  had  been  generously  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
his  new  friend,  and  when  at  length  our  hero  awoke 
to  his  obligation  to  continue  the  journey  to  England 
his  money  had  run  very  low. 

Home  was  naturally  sorry  to  see  Jack,  for  whom 
he  had  acquired  a  strong  regard,  leave,  but  he  agreed 
with  him  that  it  was  his  duty  to  do  so.  Home  was 
far  from  ungrateful  for  the  kindness  he  had  experi 
enced  at  Jack's  hands  and  made  all  the  return  that 
was  within  his  power  when  he  gave  our  hero  letters 
to  friends  in  Scotland  who  stood  high  at  the  court 
of  James  the  Sixth  and  might  use  their  influence  to 
further  the  fortunes  of  the  bearer.  Jack  sewed  the 
letters  in  the  lining  of  his  doublet  and,  taking  boat 
on  the  Seine  for  the  sea  coast,  arrived  at  Havre  de 
Grace  without  a  penny  in  his  pocket. 

Whilst  Jack  was  looking  about  for  an  opportunity 
to  work  his  way  across  the  channel,  not  having  the 
means  to  pay  his  passage,  he  fell  in  with  a  Captain 
Joseph  Duxbury,  in  the  service  of  Henry  of  Navarre. 
When  the  captain  had  heard  the  story  of  his  young 
countryman  he  declared  that  it  would  be  a  pity  to 
return  to  the  farm  without  any  further  taste  of 
adventure  than  had  so  far  fallen  to  our  hero's  lot, 

52 


THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 

and  he  proposed  that  he  should  enter  his  employment 
as  an  apprentice  in  the  art  of  war.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  Jack  could  not  resist  this  offer.  The 
camp  was  in  sight  and  the  captain  assured  him  that 
he  might  at  least  defer  his  return  to  England  with 
out  breaking  faith  with  his  friend,  Sir  Robert  Bertie. 

Jack  thus  found  himself  installed  as  page  to  Cap 
tain  Duxbury  who,  besides  having  taken  a  fancy  to 
the  lad,  was  really  in  need  of  such  a  servant  at  the 
moment.  The  duties  consisted  chiefly  in  looking 
after  the  captain's  arms,  accoutrements  and  horse. 
They  afforded  Jack  his  first  introduction  to  the  im 
plements  of  war  and  gave  him  an  opportunity  to 
learn  to  ride.  In  spare  time  his  master  taught  him 
the  use  of  the  various  weapons  and  instructed  him 
in  sitting  and  managing  the  charger.  All  this  was 
interesting  enough  to  Jack,  who  soon  had  his  mind 
set  upon  becoming  a  soldier,  but,  aside  from  a  few 
skirmishes,  he  saw  no  fighting  before  the  end  of  the 
war  threw  his  master  out  of  employment. 

Captain  Duxbury  was  one  of  the  many  free  lances 
of  various  nationalities  who  at  this  period  made  a 
business  of  fighting  and,  if  the  truth  must  be  told, 
were  generally  ready  to  sell  their  services  to  the 
highest  bidder  without  regard  to  the  cause  of  the 
conflict.  Whilst  this  was  true  in  some  degree  of 
all,  the  English  adventurers  were  usually  found 
fighting  against  the  Spanish  for  whom  they  cher 
ished  the  most  intense  hatred.  Following  the  peace 
i 

53 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

in  France,  Captain  Duxbury  decided  to  go  to  the 
Low  Countries  and  Jack  gladly  accompanied  him. 
But  in  the  ensuing  campaign,  although  our  hero 
remained  in  the  troop  commanded  by  his  old  master, 
it  was  in  the  capacity  of  a  righting  man  in  the  ranks. 
In  the  army  commanded  by  Maurice  of  Nassau,  Cap 
tain  Duxbury's  troop  of  horse  had  an  ample  share 
of  work  and  Jack  took  a  creditable  part  in  several 
battles  of  more  or  less  importance. 

Thrown  out  of  service  by  another  treaty  of  peace, 
our  hero  resolved  to  try  the  effect  of  the  presenta 
tion  of  the  letters  he  had  received  from  David  Home. 
Accordingly  he  made  his  way  to  Enkhuisen  on  the 
Zuyder  Zee  and  thence  set  sail  for  Leith.  The 
vessel  in  which  Jack — now  usually  addressed  as 
"  John  Smith  " — had  embarked  was  a  small  one, 
and  when  it  encountered  a  terrific  storm  in  the  North 
Sea  it  was  at  the  mercy  of  wind  and  water.  The 
master  and  crew  despaired  of  weathering  the  gale, 
and  after  lowering  the  sails  allowed  the  ship  to  drift 
whither  it  would.  It  ran  ashore  and  was  totally 
wrecked,  John  being  among  the  fortunate  few  who 
escaped  drowning.  The  land  upon  which  they  were 
thrown  was  Lindisfarn,  called  the  "  Holy  Isle,"  near 
Berwick.  Here  John,  who  had  received  injuries  in 
the  wreck  from  which  a  fever  followed,  lay  ill  for 
some  weeks.  Upon  recovering  sufficiently  he  pro 
ceeded  to  Scotland  and  called  on  the  friends  of  David 
Home  to  whom  he  bore  introductions.  They  re- 

54 


THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 

ceived  him  kindly  and  did  all  in  their  power  to  make 
his  visit  pleasant,  but  they  told  him  frankly  that 
they  had  neither  the  money  nor  the  means  to  secure 
his  advancement  at  court.  Under  these  circum 
stances  John,  whose  health  was  still  poor,  determined 
to  return  to  his  native  place. 

Somewhat  to  his  surprise  John  found  the  good 
people  of  Willoughby  disposed  to  treat  him  as  a  hero, 
although  he  protested  that  he  had  accomplished  no 
more  than  to  gain  some  little  insight  to  the  ways  of 
warfare.  His  estate  tinder  the  able  management  of 
Master  Metham — who  was  now  disposed  to  accord 
him  the  deference  due  to  a  man — had  flourished 
during  his  absence  abroad.  He  had  the  means  to 
dress  and  live  as  a  gentleman,  which  in  those  days 
was  of  even  more  consequence  than  it  is  now.  John 
was  now  in  his  twentieth  year  and  had  developed 
into  a  strong  muscular  young  man.  Although  not 
tall  he  was  well  knit  and  had  acquired  from  his 
military  service  an  upright  and  graceful  carriage  and 
an  air  of  self-possession.  When  tricked  out  in  new 
velvet  doublet  and  trunks,  with  ruff  and  feathered 
cap,  and  rapier  dangling  by  his  side,  he  made  a 
gallant  figure  and  set  the  hearts  of  the  maids  of 
Willoughby  aflutter  as  he  paced,  not  without  pardon 
able  pride,  along  the  streets  of  the  village. 

But  there  was  too  much  sound  sense  in  John's 
composition  to  permit  him  to  enjoy  this  frivolous 
holiday  life  for  long.  Besides  he  had  now  fully 

55 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

made  up  his  mind  to  follow  the  calling  of  arms,  and 
with  that  decision  came  the  determination  to  make 
of  himself  as  thoroughly  capable  a  soldier  as  possi 
ble.  Circumstances  forced  him  for  awhile  to  pursue 
a  life  of  peace,  but  he  resolved  to  improve  the  interim 
by  the  study  of  military  tactics  and  the  practice  of 
arms.  With  this  design  he  betook  him  to  a  forest 
some  miles  from  Willoughby  and  there  went  into 
seclusion.  It  was  summer  time  and  a  hut  of 
boughs  sufficed  for  habitation.  His  servant  sup 
plied  him  with  food  and  for  occupation  he  had 
brought  a  horse  and  some  books  and  an  assortment 
of  arms.  The  horse  he  first  broke  to  the  step  and 
manoeuvres  of  a  military  charger  and  then  used 
him  in  tilting  with  a  lance  at  a  ring  suspended  from 
the  branch  of  a  tree.  Among  the  books  were 
"Polybius"  and  Machiavelli's  "Art  of  War." 
From  these  he  learned  a  great  deal  of  the  theory — 
the  science  and  strategy—of  his  chosen  profession. 
Some  of  Captain  John  Smith's  biographers  have 
affected  to  find  cause  for  amusement  in  the  con 
templation  of  this  period  of  his  career,  but  we  shall 
take  another  view  of  it  when  we  find  the  lance  prac 
tice  and  the  riding  exercise  showing  their  fruit  in 
one  of  the  most  accomplished  soldiers  on  the  Con 
tinent  who  is  as  a  result  enabled  to  defeat  in  three 
successive  encounters  the  champions  of  the  Turkish 
army.  Again  we  shall  appreciate  the  wisdom  and 
foresight  exhibited  by  our  hero  at  this  time  when 

56 


THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 

we  see  the  information  gained  in  his  studies  turned 
to  such  good  account  in  the  service  of  his  superiors 
as  to  affect  the  issues  of  battles  and  lead  to  his  pro 
motion  from  the  ranks  to  an  important  command. 

The  retreat  to  which  John  had  betaken  himself, 
although  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  was  not  beyond 
the  ken  of  human  eye.  Woodcutters  and  charcoal 
burners  carried  to  the  surrounding  towns  strange 
stories  of  a  fierce  horseman  mounted  on  a  gigantic 
steed  who  charged  through  the  sylvan  avenues  at 
a  pace  so  terrific  as  to  shake  the  earth  for  miles 
round.  At  length  the  rumor  of  this  weird  cavalier 
reached  the  ears  of  Signor  Theodore  Polaloga,  an 
Italian  who  occupied  the  position  of  master  of  horse 
to  the  Earl  of  Lincoln  at  his  neighboring  castle. 
Whilst  this  gentleman  discredited  the  supernatural 
features  of  the  story,  he  was  forced  to  believe  that 
a  horseman  for  reasons  of  his  own  was  practising 
riding  in  the  privacy  of  the  forest.  Being  himself 
the  most  expert  equestrian  in  that  part  of  the  country 
and  one  of  the  best  in  the  kingdom,  his  curiosity 
to  know  more  of  the  stranger  was  naturally  great. 

Signor  Polaloga  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the 
military  hermit  and  John,  who  was  beginning  to 
weary  of  his  retirement,  received  the  Italian  cor 
dially,  and  all  the  more  so  since  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  that  gentleman's  reputation  as  a 
superb  horseman.  Such  simple  hospitality  as  lay 
at  his  command  John  extended  cheerfully  to  his 

57 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

visitor,  who  accepted  it  with  an  air  of  frank  com 
radeship  and  partook  heartily  of  a  venison  pasty, 
the  contents  of  which  he  strongly  suspected  to  have 
been  poached  from  the  Earl's  preserves.  When, 
after  a  conversation  that  each  found  sufficiently 
interesting  to  prolong,  the  equerry  proposed  a 
friendly  joust,  Jack  was  delighted  to  comply. 
Whilst  our  hero  soon  learned  that  he  was  no  match 
for  the  Italian,  he  had  no  cause  to  be  ashamed  of 
himself,  for  the  master  of  horse  pronounced  him 
surprisingly  proficient  and  declared  that  few  young 
men  of  his  age  could  excel  him  in  horsemanship  or 
in  handling  the  lance. 

The  following  morning  Signor  Polaloga  returned 
with  an  invitation  from  the  Earl  to  John  to  come 
and  stay  at  Tattershall,  as  the  castle  was  named. 
John,  who  had  heard  of  the.  Earl  of  Lincoln  as  an 
eccentric  nobleman  and  hard  to  please,  might  have 
respectfully  declined  this  flattering  invitation  had 
not  the  equerry  clinched  the  matter  by  mentioning 
the  extensive  stable  of  fine  horses,  the  assortment 
of  various  arms  and  the  tilt-yard  that  would  be  at 
the  disposal  of  the  guest.  So  John  went  to  Tatter- 
shall,  and  to  his  surprise  found  the  Earl  a  very  pleas 
ant  gentleman  who  bade  him  make  himself  as  much 
at  home  in  the  castle  as  though  he  owned  it.  John 
spent  several  weeks  at  Tattershall.  Signor  Polaloga 
entered  zealously  into  the  instruction  of  the  young 
man,  declaring  that  he  had  never  before  had  so  apt 

58 


THE  SOLDIER  APPRENTICE 

a  pupil.  But  with  the  progress  of  his  skill  the  desire 
to  exercise  it  in  actual  conflict  grew  and,  hearing 
rumors  of  renewed  hostilities  in  Holland,  John  bade 
adieu  to  his  patron,  the  Earl,  and  his  friend  the 
master  of  horse  and  returned  to  Willoughby  with  the 
intention  of  fitting  himself  out  for  a  campaign  on 
the  continent. 


59 


IV. 

DUPED  AND  ROBBED 


JOHN  RETURNS  TO  THE  NETHERLANDS — DETERMINES  TO  GO  EAST 
AND  FIGHT  THE  TURKS — MEETS  A  BOGUS  FRENCH  NOBLEMAN 
AND  HIS  ATTENDANTS — GOES  TO  FRANCE  WITH  THEM — 
THEY  STEAL  ALL  HIS  BELONGINGS  AND  WITH  THE  ASSIST 
ANCE  OF  THE  SHIP-MASTER  DECAMP — JOHN  SELLS  HIS  CLOAK 
AND  PURSUES  THE  THIEVES — A  FRIElfD  IN  NEED — FlNDS  THE 
ROBBERS  BUT  CAN  GET  NO  REDRESS — ALONE  IN  A  STRANGE 
LAND  WITHOUT  CLOAK  OR  PURSE — SECURES  SOME  CLOTHES 
AND  MONEY  AND  TURNS  BACK  TO  THE  COAST — STILL  DETER 
MINED  TO  GET  TO  THE  TURKISH  WAR  BY  SOME  MEANS. 

JOHN  entered  upon  his  second  campaign  in  the 
Netherlands  under  more  promising  circumstances 
than  at  first.  He  was  furnished  with  good  arms  and 
accoutrements,  an  ample  supply  of  fine  clothing  and 
a  considerable  sum  of  money.  Moreover,  he  was  no 
longer  a  greenhorn.  It  is  true  that  he  could  not 
boast  of  much  actual  experience  of  warfare,  but  he 
had  learned  to  handle  his  weapons  with  unusual 
dexterity  and  was  prepared  to  give  a  good  account 
of  himself.  He  had,  however,  few  opportunities 
for  display  of  his  skill  before  the  winter  put  an  end 
to  hostilities  for  the  time. 

When  the  camps  began  to  break  up,  John  followed 
the  stream  of  travel  towards  the  coast  without  any 

60 


DUPED  AND  ROBBED 

definite  plan  for  his  future  movements.  He  was 
beginning  to  tire  of  service  in  Holland,  which  had 
disappointed  his  expectations,  and  was  anxious  to 
find  a  fresh  field  for  adventure.  Rudolph  the  Sec 
ond,  Emperor  of  Germany,  was  waging  war  against 
the  Turks  in  Hungary  and  Transylvania.  Here  was 
an  avenue  to  new  scenes  and  experiences,  but  the  seat 
of  war  was  on  the  other  side  of  Europe  and  the 
journey  thence  a  long  and  expensive  one.  For  that 
reason  he  could  find  none  among  his  late  companions 
in  arms  who  was  going  to  the  Turkish  war.  Still' 
he  continued  his  journey  to  Rotterdam,  hoping  that 
he  might  there  fall  in  with  some  nobleman  bound 
for  the  East,  to  whose  train  he  might  attach  himself. 
He  allowed  his  desire  to  become  known  as  widely 
as  possible,  thinking  that  it  might  come  to  the  ears 
of  some  leader  willing  to  engage  his  services. 

The  port  was  full  of  soldiers,  real  and  pretended, 
waiting  to  take  ship  in  various  directions.  There 
were  veterans  seeking  their  homes  for  a  spell  of  rest 
after  hard  fighting  or  returning  to  recover  from 
severe  wounds.  There  were  others  to  whom  the 
sole  attraction  presented  by  the  scene  of  war  was  the 
prospect  of  loot.  There  were  traders  and  camp 
followers  innumerable,  desperadoes  and  outlaws, 
gamblers  who  used  loaded  dice  and  sharpers  of  all 
sorts.  John  was  fated  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
some  of  those  smooth  but  dishonest  characters  who, 
like  vultures,  hung  in  the  rear  of  every  army  and 

61 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

preyed  on  the  soldiers  returning  from  a  campaign 
rich  with  pay  and  plunder.  Our  hero  was  an  easy 
victim,  for,  whilst  his  common  sense  rendered  him 
sufficiently  cautious  where  an  open  enemy  was  con 
cerned,  his  frank  and  generous  disposition  prevented 
his  suspecting  the  good  faith  of  a  pretended  friend. 

John  had  his  heavy  iron-bound  chest  taken  to  one 
of  the  best  inns  in  the  town  and  there  he  settled 
himself  comfortably  to  interested  contemplation  of 
the  bustle  and  movement  about  him.  Although  he 
makes  no  mention  of  being  conscious  of  the  trait, 
John  Smith  evidently  had  the  habit  of  awaiting 
events  when  circumstances  failed  to  supply  him  with 
a  basis  for  a  reasonable  plan  of  action.  When  we 
can  not  see  our  way  clearly  ahead,  generally  the 
wisest  thing  we  can  do  is  to  do  nothing,  as  Handy 
Andy  might  have  said.  We  seldom  force  a  situation 
without  making  a  mess  of  it.  It  did  not  often  hap 
pen  to  John,  in  the  course  of  his  eventful  life,  that 
he  had  long  to  wait  for  something  to  turn  up,  and 
the  present  occasion  was  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

He  was  seated  in  the  common  room  of  the  inn 
one  day  when  he  was  forced  to  overhear  a  conver 
sation  in  French,  with  which  language  he  had  be 
come  tolerably  familiar.  The  speakers  were  four 
men  who  had  the  appearance  of  being  soldiers  in 
good  circumstances.  One  of  them,  in  particular, 
was  richly  dressed  and  seemed  to  be  of  superior 
station  to  the  others,  who  were  receiving  his  direc- 

62 


DUPED  AND  ROBBED 

tions  for  the  voyage  to  France,  which  was  to  be  the 
first  stage  in  a  journey  to  Hungary,  where  they 
proposed  taking  part  in  the  campaign  against  the 
Turks.  John  heard  this  with  delight,  for  it  seemed 
to  afford  the  very  opportunity  for  which  he  had  been 
longing. 

Presently  the  three  subordinates  went  out,  and 
no  sooner  were  they  alone  than  John  eagerly 
approached  the  remaining  Frenchman.  After  apolo 
gizing  for  overhearing  the  conversation,  which,  in 
truth,  was  intended  for  his  ears,  the  young  soldier 
stated  his  circumstances  and  ventured  to  express  a 
hope  that  the  gentleman,  whom  he  surmised  to  be  a 
nobleman,  might  find  a  place  for  him  in  his  train. 
The  Frenchman,  who  stated  his  name  and  style  to 
be  Lord  de  Preau,  at  first  affected  to  be  annoyed 
at  the  discussion  of  his  private  affairs,  but  as  John 
proceeded  with  his  story  the  supposed  nobleman  re 
laxed,  and  at  its  conclusion  with  amiable  condescen 
sion  invited  our  hero  to  be  seated  and  join  him  in  a 
bottle  of  wine. 

"  I  may  be  able  to  further  your  design,"  said 
"  Lord  de  Preau "  with  thoughtful  deliberation, 
whilst  John  hung  eagerly  upon  his  every  word.  "  It 
is  in  my  mind  to  help  you,  for  a  more  likely  young 
gallant  I  have  never  met.  But  I  have  not  the  means, 
as  you  seem  to  think,  of  supporting  a  large  train." 

Here  his  "  lordship  "  broke  off  to  raise  his  goblet 
to  his  lips,  and  John's  heart  sank  as  he  imagined 

63 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

that  he  saw  an  objection  in  prospect.  The  "  noble 
man"  noted  the  look  of  disappointment  on  the 
young  man's  mobile  countenance  and  smiled  encour 
agingly  as  he  continued : 

"  It  may  be  contrived  I  ween  and  thus.  The  Due 
de  Mercosur — as  is  doubtless  beknown  to  you — is 
now  at  the  seat  of  war  with  a  company  raised  in 
France.  I  have  letters  to  the  Due's  good  lady  who 
will,  I  doubt  not,  furnish  me  with  the  means  to 
continue  my  journey  and  also  commend  me  to  the 
favor  of  her  lord." 

"  And  the  Duchesse  ?  Where  may  she  be  ?  "  asked 
John. 

"  The  Duchesse  de  Mercoeur  sojourns  with  her 
father,  Monsieur  Bellecourt,  whose  lands  adjoin  my 
own  poor  estate  in  Picardy,"  replied  the  pretended 
nobleman,  "  so  that  first  we  repair  to  my  chateau 
and  there  lay  our  plans  for  the  future.  It  is  agreed  ?  " 

Agreed!  Why  John  was  fairly  ready  to  fall  on 
"  Lord  de  Preau's  "  neck  and  embrace  him  in  the 
ecstasy  of  his  delight.  That  accommodating  in 
dividual  undertook  that  one  of  his  attendants  should 
make  all  the  preparations  for  departure  and  notify 
our  hero  when  everything  should  be  in  readiness. 

At  noon  the  following  day  the  three  retainers  of 
the  French  "  nobleman "  appeared  and  announced 
the  approaching  departure  of  the  vessel  upon  which 
they  were  to  embark.  They  gave  their  names  as 
Courcelles,  Nelie  and  Montferrat,  and  each  ex- 

64 


DUPED  AND  ROBBED 

pressed  his  satisfaction  at  the  prospect  of  having 
the  young  Englishman  as  a  companion  in  arms  in 
the  coming  campaign.  Preceded  by  four  colpor 
teurs,  carrying  John's  baggage,  they  went  on  board 
and,  De  Preau  shortly  after  joining  them,  the  master 
weighed  anchor  and  sailed  out  of  port. 

The  vessel  on  which  John  shipped  with  such  great 
expectations  was  one  of  the  small  coasting  luggers, 
common  at  the  time,  which  bore  doubtful  reputations 
because  they  were  as  often  engaged  in  smuggling, 
or  other  illegal  venture,  as  in  honest  trade.  Upon 
this  particular  occasion  the  craft  was  full  to  the  point 
of  overcrowding  with  passengers  bound  for  various 
points  upon  the  coast  of  France. 

Night  had  set  in  when  the  ship  cast  anchor  in  a 
rough  sea  off  the  coast  of  Picardy.  The  landing 
was  to  be  made  at  St.  Valery,  where  the  inlet  is  too 
shallow  to  permit  the  entry  of  any  vessels  larger 
than  fishing  smacks.  There  was  but  one  small  boat 
available  for  taking  the  passengers  ashore,  and  this 
the  master  placed  first  at  the  disposal  of  "  Lord  de 
Preau."  The  baggage  of  the  entire  party  was  low 
ered  into  it  and  then  they  began  to  descend,  the 
supposed  nobleman  in  the  lead.  When  the  three 
retainers  had  followed  their  master,  the  captain,  who 
with  the  aid  of  a  seaman  was  going  to  row  the  boat 
to  land,  declared  that  it  was  already  laden  to  its 
utmost  capacity  and,  promising  to  return  immedi 
ately  for  John,  he  pushed  off  into  the  darkness. 
5  65 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

Hour  followed  hour  without  bringing  any  sight 
of  the  ship's  boat  to  our  hero  impatiently  pacing  the 
deck,  nor  did  the  return  of  day  afford  any  sign  of 
the  captain  and  his  craft.  By  this  time  John's 
anxiety  had  reached  a  painful  pitch.  With  the 
exception  of  his  small  sword  and  the  clothes  upon 
his  back  everything  he  possessed  had  left  the  ship 
in  the  boat,  which  he  began  to  fear  had  foundered 
in  the  storm  that  was  not  yet  exhausted.  If  this 
were  true  his  plight  was  a  sorry  one,  indeed.  With 
straining  eyes  he  spent  the  day  gazing  across  the  mile 
of  water  that  lay  between  the  ship  and  the  little 
village  of  St.  Valery.  The  waves  gradually  sub 
sided  as  the  day  wore  on,  and  when  evening 
approached  the  sea  was  running  in  a  long  heavy 
swell.  John  felt  that  he  could  not  abide  another 
night  of  uncertainty  and  was  seriously  debating  in 
his  mind  the  chances  of  safely  reaching  the  shore  by 
swimming,  when  he  perceived  a  boat  putting  out 
from  the  port. 

A  very  angry  set  of  passengers  greeted  the  master 
as  he  came  over  the  side  of  his  vessel  and  they  were 
not  altogether  appeased  by  his  explanation  that  the 
boat  had  been  damaged  on  the  outward  trip,  and  he 
dared  not  entrust  himself  to  it  for  the  return  until  after 
the  water  and  wind  went  down.  He  reassured  John 
by  the  statement  that  his  friends  had  gone  forward 
to  Amiens  to  avoid  the  poor  accommodation  at  St. 
Valery,  and  would  there  await  him.  Having  made 

66 


DUPED  AND  ROBBED 

his  excuses,  the  master  proceeded  to  get  his  passen 
gers  ashore  as  quickly  as  possible  and  offered  John 
a  seat  in  the  first  boat  which  he  was  only  too  glad 
to  accept,  for,  though  his  mind  was  somewhat  easier, 
he  felt  impatient  to  rejoin  his  new  patron — and  his 
chest. 

John's  first  thought  on  landing  was  to  procure  a 
horse  to  carry  him  to  Amiens,  but  when  he  thrust  his 
hand  into  his  pocket  he  discovered  that  he  had  not  a 
single  penny — even  his  purse  was  with  his  baggage. 
He  might  walk,  but  Amiens  was  nearly  forty  miles 
distant  and  it  would  take  him  two  days  to  cover  the 
ground  on  foot.  Moreover,  he  would  need  food 
on  the  way  and  was  already  hungry  and  faint,  hav 
ing  in  his  anxiety  of  the  previous  hours  neglected  to 
eat.  Clearly  he  must  get  some  money,  and  the 
readiest  way  to  do  so  seemed  to  lie  in  selling  his 
cloak,  which  was  a  very  good  one.  He  disposed 
of  it  to  the  innkeeper  at  a  fair  price,  ate  a  hurried 
supper,  and  was  in  the  act  of  arranging  for  the  hire 
of  a  horse,  when  one  of  his  fellow  passengers  entered 
the  tavern  and  expressed  a  desire  to  speak  with  him 
privately. 

The  man  who  thus  claimed  John's  attention  was  a 
soldier  of  middle  age  with  an  honest  and  weather- 
beaten  countenance.  He  had  arrived  on  one  of  the 
last  boat  trips  but  had  sought  our  hero  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible.  He  now  expressed  his  belief  that 
John  was  the  victim  of  a  plot  to  deprive  him  of  his 

67 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

money  and  belongings.  De  Preau  he  said  was 
slightly  known  to  him  as  the  son  of  a  notary  of 
Mortagne,  and  he  believed  the  other  rascals  to  be 
natives  of  that  town.  He  had  not  suspected  any 
mischief  until  he  heard  the  master  on  his  return  from 
shore  refer  to  De  Preau  as  a  nobleman.  He  doubted 
not  the  ship  captain  had  connived  at  the  swindle, 
but  nothing  could  have  been  proved  against  him  in 
the  absence  of  the  chief  culprits. 

John  was  at  first  disposed  to  be  angry  with  Curzi- 
anvere,  as  the  soldier  was  named,  for  not  having 
spoken  sooner  and  denounced  the  master  on  the  spot. 
He  readily  excused  the  other,  however,  when  he 
explained  that  he  was  an  outlaw  from  the  country 
on  account  of  a  political  offence  and  now  secretly 
visiting  his  home  at  great  risk.  It  was  natural  that 
he  should  have  hesitated  to  get  mixed  up  in  a  scrape 
that  would  necessitate  his  appearing  before  a  magis 
trate  at  the  hazard  of  being  recognized.  By  divulg 
ing  this  much  about  himself  he  had  confided  in  the 
honor  of  a  stranger,  but  so  great  was  the  confidence 
with  which  John's  frank  demeanor  inspired  him  that 
he  would  go  still  farther  and,  as  his  road  lay  past 
Mortagne,  would  guide  him  thither.  He  warned 
John,  however,  that  he  could  not  venture  to  enter 
any  large  town  in  Picardy  or  Brittany,  much  less 
appear  as  a  witness  against  De  Preau  and  his  com 
panions,  should  they  be  found. 

With  this  understanding  the  two  soldiers  set  out 
68 


DUPED  AND  ROBBED 

together,  and  after  several  weeks'  tramping,  during 
which  Curzianvere  had  shared  his  slender  purse  with 
John,  they  arrived  at  Mortagne.  Here  the  outlaw, 
perhaps  fearing  complications  that  might  arise  from 
his  companion's  errand,  decided  to  continue  his 
journey.  Before  parting  with  the  young  wayfarer, 
however,  he  gave  him  letters  to  some  friends  resid 
ing  in  the  neighborhood  from  whom  he  might  expect 
hospitable  treatment. 

John  entered  the  town,  and  so  far  as  the  first  step 
in  his  quest  was  concerned,  met  with  immediate 
success.  Almost  at  once  he  encountered  De  Preau 
and  Courcelles  sauntering  along  the  main  street. 
John's  bile  rose  as  he  perceived  that  both  were 
tricked  out  in  finery  abstracted  from  his  chest.  He 
strode  up  to  them  and  in  angry  tones  charged  them 
with  deception  and  the  theft  of  his  goods.  The 
sudden  encounter  confused  the  rogues,  but  De  Preau 
quickly  regained  his  composure. 

"  Does  Monsieur  honor  you  with  his  acquaint 
ance?"  he  asked  of  Courcelles  with  a  significant 
look. 

"  Had  I  ever  seen  that  striking  face  before  I  must 
have  remembered  it,"  replied  the  other,  taking  the 
cue  from  his  leader. 

John  was  aghast  at  their  effrontery,  and  turning 
to  a  knot  of  townsmen  who  gathered  around,  he 
cried : 

"  These  men  have  robbed  me  of  my  possessions. 
69 


Even  now  they  wear  my  garments  upon  their  backs. 

If  there  be  justice "  but  speech  failed  him  at 

sight  of  the  unsympathetic  faces  of  the  bystanders. 

"  Mon  Dieu !  But  the  fellow  is  a  superb  actor," 
drawled  De  Preau. 

"  Most  like  some  knave  who  would  draw  us  into 
a  quarrel,"  added  Courcelles. 

The  onlookers,  too,  began  to  make  menacing  re 
marks,  and  poor  John  realized  the  hopelessness  of 
his  position.  He  was  a  foreigner  without  a  friend, 
and  he  suddenly  remembered  that  to  be  locked  up 
and  found  with  Curzianvere's  letters  upon  him  would 
not  mend  matters.  He  could  not  support  a  single 
word  of  his  story  with  proof.  He  was  cloakless  and 
his  clothing  worn  and  travel-stained.  Who  could 
be  expected  to  believe  that  he  ever  owned  a  purse 
filled  with  gold  and  a  chest  of  rich  raiment?  He 
was  quivering  with  just  rage,  but  he  had  sense 
enough  to  see  that  his  wisest  course  lay  in  retreat. 
So  without  another  word  he  turned  his  back  on  the 
two  villains  and  walked  rapidly  out  of  the  town. 

A  few  miles  from  Mortagne  John  found  the 
friends  to  whose  kind  offices  the  letters  of  Curzian- 
vere  recommended  him.  He  met  with  a  cordial 
reception  and  sincere  sympathy  when  he  had  told 
his  tale,  but  these  good  people  were  obliged  to  admit 
that  he  had  no  chance  of  recovering  his  property 
or  causing  the  punishment  of  the  thieves.  Being 
thus  fully  convinced  that  the  matter  was  beyond 

70 


DUPED  AND  ROBBED 

remedy,  John  determined  to  put  it  behind  him  and 
seek  relief  for  his  feelings  in  action.  He  declined 
the  invitation  of  Curzianvere's  friends  to  prolong 
his  visit  but,  accepting  a  small  sum  of  money  and  a 
cloak  from  them,  set  out  to  retrace  his  steps  to  the 
coast,  in  the  hope  that  he  might  secure  employment 
upon  a  ship  of  war. 


V. 

A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 


JOHN  REACHES  HAVRE  AFTER  A  LONG  DREARY  TRAMP  IN  MID 
WINTER — FAILS    TO   FIND    A    SHIP   GOING   TO   THE   EAST   AND 

TURNS  SOUTH  ALONG  THE  COAST — FALLS  EXHAUSTED  BY  THE 
ROADSIDE  AND  IS  PICKED  UP  BY  A  GOOD  FARMER — REGAINS 
HIS  STRENGTH  AND  RESUMES  HIS  JOURNEY — ENCOUNTERS 
COURCELLES,  ONE  OF  THE  FRENCHMEN  WHO  HAD  ROBBED  HIM 
— THEY  DRAW  SWORDS  AND  FALL  TO — JOHN  COMPLETELY  OVER 
COMES  HIS  ANTAGONIST,  PUNISHES  HIM  AND  LEAVES  HIM 
REPENTANT — AN  UNLOCKED  FOR  MEETING  WITH  AN  OLD 
FRIEND — JOHN  IS  SET  UPON  HIS  FEET  AGAIN — GOES  TO 

MARSEILLES  AND  TAKES  SHIP  FOR  ITALY — Is  THROWN  OVER 
BOARD  IN  A  STORM  BY  THE  FANATICAL  PASSENGERS — SwiMS 
TO  A  DESERT  ISLAND. 

IT  must  not  be  supposed  that  John  had  abandoned 
his  project  of  going  to  fight  the  Turks.  His  was  not 
the  temperament  to  be  easily  discouraged  or  diverted 
from  a  purpose.  He  was  not  now  in  a  position  to 
pursue  any  very  definite  plan,  but  he  walked  coast- 
ward  in  the  hope  that  some  favorable  opportunity 
for  going  farther  might  present  itself.  If  he  should 
find  some  ship  of  war  or  large  merchantman  bound 
for  a  Mediterranean  port  he  would  be  willing  to 
work  his  way  on  her  in  any  capacity.  Honfleur  and 
Havre  being  the  most  likely  places  thereabouts  in 
which  to  find  such  a  vessel  as  he  sought,  he  made 

72 


A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 

his  way  northward  and  visited  each  of  those  ports 
in  turn  without  success.  It  was  winter,  and  peace 
prevailed  in  western  Europe  for  the  time  being. 
There  was  little  movement  among  the  large  ships 
but  smaller  vessels,  in  considerable  numbers,  were 
plying  between  the  Continent  and  England.  John 
might  readily  have  secured  passage  to  England,  and 
no  doubt  his  wisest  course  would  have  been  to  return 
home  and  procure  a  fresh  supply  of  clothing  and 
money.  But  John  could  not  brook  the  thought  of 
appearing  at  home  tattered  and  torn  and  confessing 
to  his  guardian  that  he  had  been  duped  and  robbed. 

The  shipping  men  of  Havre  advised  the  anxious 
inquirer  to  try  St.  Malo,  and  so  he  turned  back 
over  the  ground  he  had  already  twice  traversed  and 
faced  several  more  wreeks  of  weary  travel  with  a 
purse  now  nearly  empty  and  clothing  almost  reduced 
\o  rags.  Coming  up  from  Mortagne  he  had  selected 
the  poorest  inns  for  resting  places;  now  even  these 
were  beyond  his  means,  and  he  had  to  depend  upon 
the  charity  of  the  country  people  for  a  night's  lodg 
ing  or  a  meal.  Occasionally  his  way  led  past  a 
monastery,  when  he  was  always  sure  of  simple  hospi 
tality  for,  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  the  fact  that  John 
was  an  Englishman  and  a  heretic  never  caused  the 
good  monks  to  turn  him  from  their  doors. 

When  at  length  he  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Pontorson  in  Brittany  it  was  in  a  condition  border 
ing  on  collapse  from  the  effects  of  the  exposure  and 

73 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

hardship  of  the  preceding  weeks.  St.  Malo  was  but 
a  short  two  days'  journey  away,  but  it  did  not  seem 
possible  that  he  could  hold  out  until  that  port  should 
be  reached.  He  staggered  on  for  a  few  more  miles 
but  at  last  his  strength  utterly  gave  out  and  he  sank 
unconscious  to  the  ground  by  the  roadside.  Here 
John  Smith's  career  well  nigh  wound  up  in  an  in 
glorious  end,  for  had  he  lain  neglected  for  a  few 
hours  he  must  have  frozen  to  death.  Fate  directed 
otherwise,  however.  A  kind  farmer  chancing  by 
in  his  wagon  picked  up  the  exhausted  lad  and 
carried  him  to  his  house.  There  he  was  nursed 
and  fed  and,  some  weeks  later,  when  he  resumed 
his  journey  it  was  with  a  show  of  his  natural  vigor. 

John  left  the  farmhouse  with  a  wallet  sufficiently 
stocked  to  stay  his  stomach  until  he  should  arrive 
at  St.  Malo — money  he  had  refused  to  accept  from 
the  good  farmer.  The  air  was  mild.  It  was  one  of 
those  sunny  days  in  late  winter  that  give  early 
promise  of  spring.  Under  the  influence  of  the 
cheery  weather  our  hero's  spirits  rose,  and  he  had 
a  feeling  that  the  tide  in  his  affairs  was  about  to 
turn.  This  presentiment  was  strengthened  by  an 
adventure  that  immediately  befell  him  and  which  will 
not  so  greatly  surprise  us  if  we  remember  that  he 
was  once  again  in  the  vicinity  of  Mortagne,  having 
gone  forth  and  back  in  his  long  tramp. 

John  had  been  following  a  short  cut  through  a 
wood  and  had  just  emerged  into  the  open  when  he 

74 


A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 

came  suddenly  face  to  face  with  a  traveler  who  was 
pursuing  the  same  path  in  opposite  direction.  Each 
recognized  the  other  immediately,  and  on  the  instant 
their  swords  flashed  from  the  scabbard.  They  flung 
aside  their  cloaks  and  engaged  without  a  word. 
Furious  anger  surged  in  John's  breast  as  he  con 
fronted  Courcelles,  one  of  the  four  French  robbers 
to  whose  perfidy  he  owed  his  present  plight  and  all 
the  misery  of  the  past  months.  For  a  moment  he 
was  tempted  to  rush  upon  the  rascal  and  run  him 
through,  but  that  caution  and  coolness  that  ever 
characterized  our  hero  in  the  presence  of  danger, 
soon  took  possession  of  his  reason  and  prompted  him 
to  assume  the  defensive. 

Courcelles  was  no  mean  swordsman,  and  he  saw 
before  him  a  bareface  boy  whom  he  could  not  suppose 
to  be  a  master  of  fence.  Moreover,  he  was  moved 
by  the  hatred  which  mean  souls  so  often  feel  for 
those  whom  they  have  wronged.  He  made  a  furious 
attack  upon  the  stripling  intending  to  end  the  affair 
in  short  order. 

John  calmly  maintained  his  guard  under  the  on 
slaught  with  his  weapon  presented  constantly  at  the 
other's  breast.  With  a  slight  movement  of  the  wrist 
he  turned  aside  Courcelles'  thrusts  and  stepped  back 
nimbly  when  the  Frenchman  lunged.  The  latter, 
meeting  with  no  counter-attack,  became  more  confi 
dent  and  pressed  his  adversary  hard.  But  the  skill 
with  which  his  assault  was  met  soon  dawned  upon 

75 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

Courcelles.  He  checked  the  impetuosity  that  had 
already  told  upon  his  nerves  and  muscles  and  re 
sorted  to  the  many  tricks  of  fence  of  which,  like 
most  French  swordsmen,  he  was  an  adept.  He 
changed  the  engagement ;  he  feinted  and  feigned  to 
fumble  his  weapon;  he  shifted  his  guard  suddenly; 
he  pretended  to  slip  and  lose  his  footing ;  he  endeav 
ored  to  disengage;  but  John  could  not  be  tempted 
from  his  attitude  of  alert  defence.  Courcelles  beat 
the  appel  with  his  foot  but  John's  eyes  remained 
steadfastly  fixed  upon  his  and  the  firm  blade  was 
ever  there  lightly  but  surely  feeling  his.  Courcelles 
tapped  the  other's  sword  sharply  but  John  only 
smiled  with  grim  satisfaction  as  he  remembered  how 
Signer  Polaloga  had  schooled  him  to  meet  such 
disconcerting  manreuvres  as  these. 

Courcelles  was  growing  desperate  and  determined 
as  a  last  hope  of  overcoming  his  antagonist  to  try 
the  coup  de  Marsac.  This  consisted  in  beating  up 
the  adversary's  weapon  by  sheer  force  and  lunging 
under  his  upthrown  arm.  Gathering  himself  to 
gether  for  the  effort,  the  Frenchman  struck  John's 
sword  with  all  the  strength  he  could  command,  but 
the  act  was  anticipated  by  our  hero,  whose  rapier 
yielded  but  a  few  inches  to  the  blow.  The  next 
instant  the  point  of  it  had  rapidly  described  a  semi 
circle  around  and  under  Courcelles'  blade,  throwing 
it  out  of  the  line  of  his  opponent's  body. 

It  was  a  last  effort.  Chill  fear  seized  the  French- 
76 


A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 

man's  heart  as  with  the  waning  of  his  strength  he 
realized  that  he  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  youth  he 
had  so  heartlessly  robbed.  With  difficulty  he  main 
tained  a  feeble  guard  whilst  he  felt  a  menacing 
pressure  from  the  other's  weapon.  John  advanced 
leisurely  upon  the  older  man,  whose  eyes  plainly  be 
trayed  his  growing  terror.  He  was  as  helpless  as  a 
child  and  might  have  been  spitted  like  a  fowl  without 
resistance,  but  although  our  hero  was  made  of  stern 
stuff  there  was  nothing  cruel  in  his  composition  and 
he  began  to  pity  the  cringing  wretch  who  retreated 
before  him.  He  had  no  thought,  however,  of  let 
ting  the  rascal  off  without  a  reminder  that  might 
furnish  a  lesson  to  him. 

With  that  thought  he  pricked  Courcelles  upon  the 
breast  accompanying  the  thrust  with  the  remark : 

"  That  for  your  friend  Nelie,  if  you  please!  " 

Almost  immediately  he  repeated  the  action, 
saying : 

"  And  that  for  your  friend  Montferrat !  " 

"  For  your  master,  the  Lord  De  Preau,  I  beg 
your  acceptance  of  that,"  continued  John,  running 
his  rapier  through  the  fleshy  part  of  the  other's 
shoulder. 

The  terrified  Frenchman  dropped  his  sword  and 
fell  upon  his  knees  with  upraised  hands. 

"  Mercy  for  the  love  of  heaven ! "  he  cried. 
"  Slay  me  not  unshriven  with  my  sins  upon  my 
head." 

77 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

"  Maybe  we  can  find  a  priest  to  prepare  thee  for 
the  journey  to  a  better  land,"  replied  John,  not  un 
willing  that  the  robber  should  suffer  a  little  more. 
"  Ho,  there !  "  to  a  group  of  rustics  who  had  been 
attracted  by  the  sounds  of  the  conflict.  "  Know'st 
any  holy  father  confessor  living  in  these  parts  ?  " 

The  peasants  declared  that  a  priest  resided  within 
a  mile  of  the  spot  and  one  of  them  departed  in  haste 
to  fetch  him  to  the  scene. 

As  we  know,  John  had  no  intention  of  killing 
Courcelles,  nor  did  he  desire  to  await  the  return  of 
the  shriver,  so  finding  that  the  Frenchman  had  no 
means  of  making  restitution  for  the  theft  of  his 
goods,  he  left  him.  But  before  doing  so,  he  extorted 
from  the  apparently  repentant  man  a  promise  to  live 
an  honest  life  in  future. 

The  encounter  with  Courcelles  had  a  stimulating 
effect  upon  John  and  he  entered  St.  Malo  the  follow 
ing  morning,  feeling  better  pleased  with  himself  than 
he  had  for  many  a  day.  He  at  once  set  about  making 
enquiries  as  to  the  vessels  in  port  and  was  engaged 
in  conversation  with  a  sailor  on  the  quay  when  he 
became  aware  of  the  scrutiny  of  a  well-dressed  young 
man  standing  nearby.  The  face  of  the  inquisitive 
stranger  seemed  to  awake  a  dim  memory  in  John's 
mind  but  he  could  not  remember  to  have  met  him 
before.  The  other  soon  put  an  end  to  his  perplexity 
by  coming  forward  with  outstretched  hands. 

"  Certes,  it  is  my  old  playmate  Jack  Smith  of 
78 


A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 

Willoughby !  Thou  hast  not  so  soon  forgot  Philip, 
Jack?" 

John  instantly  recollected  the  young  son  of  Count 
Ployer  who,  as  you  will  recall,  had  passed  several 
months  at  the  castle  as  the  guest  of  Lady  Wil 
loughby.  The  young  men  repaired  to  a  neighboring 
tavern  where,  over  a  grateful  draught  of  wine,  John 
recounted  his  adventures.  When  John  spoke  of  his 
wanderings  in  Brittany  Philip  listened  with  a  puzzled 
•expression,  and  when  his  friend  had  finished  said : 

"  But  why  didst  thou  shun  me  and  my  father's 
house  ?  Surely  not  in  doubt  of  a  welcome  ?  It  was 
known  to  you  that  the  Count  Ployer  possesses  the 
castle  and  estates  of  Tonquedec." 

"  Truly,"  replied  John,  "  but  where  is  Ton 
quedec  ?  " 

Philip  lay  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed  long  and 
heartily.  When  his  merriment  had  somewhat  sub 
sided  he  silently  beckoned  his  new-found  friend  to 
the  window.  St.  Malo  lies  at  the  entrance  to  a  long 
narrow  inlet.  Extending  a  finger  Philip  pointed 
across  this  bay.  Upon  the  opposite  shore  John  saw 
the  gray  walls  of  a  large  battlemented  castle. 

"  Behold  Tonquedec !  "  said  Philip  with  a  quiz 
zical  smile. 

By  the  Count,  John  was  received  at  the  castle  with 
the  most  hearty  welcome.  That  nobleman  was,  as 
his  son  had  been,  moved  to  immoderate  amusement 
at  the  thought  of  Jack — as  Philip  persisted  in  calling 

79 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

him — having  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  castle 
so  long  without  knowing  it. 

"  Your  friend  is  doubtless  a  gallant  soldier,"  he 
said  to  his  son,  "  but  a  sorry  geographer  I  fear." 

John  spent  a  pleasant  week  at  Tonquedec  Castle 
but  declined  to  prolong  his  stay,  being  anxious  to 
pursue  his  journey  to  Hungary  now  that  the  means 
of  doing  so  expeditiously  lay  at  his  command.  For 
the  Count  generously  supplied  all  his  immediate 
needs  and  lent  him  a  considerable  sum  of  money  on 
the  security  of  his  estate.  Thus  equipped  our  hero 
set  out  for  Marseilles,  whence  he  purposed  taking 
ship  for  Italy.  In  after  years  John  proved  his  grate 
ful  remembrance  of  the  kindness  of  the  Count  and 
his  son  by  naming  one  of  the  headlands  of  Chesa 
peake  Bay,  Point  Ployer. 

John  arrived  at  Marseilles  just  in  time  to  take 
passage  on  a  small  vessel  filled  with  pilgrims  bound 
for  Rome.  They  encountered  foul  weather  from 
the  moment  of  leaving  port  and  day  by  day  the  storm 
increased  in  fury  until  the  danger  of  going  down 
became  hourly  more  imminent.  At  this  critical 
juncture  both  seamen  and  passengers  abandoned 
hope  and  sank  upon  their  knees  loudly  calling  upon 
the  saints  for  succor.  John  stood  for  awhile  watch 
ing  this  proceeding  which  revolted  his  common  sense. 
At  length  his  patience  gave  out  and  he  soundly  be 
rated  the  sailors  for  their  cowardice  and  imbecility. 
Their  saints,  he  declared,  would  much  more  readily 

80 


A  DUEL  WITH  A  DASTARD 

aid  men  than  cravens,  and  if  they  turned  to  and 
helped  themselves,  God  would  surely  help  them. 

This  ill-advised  interference  drew  the  attention  of 
the  mixed  crowd  of  passengers  to  the  Englishman. 
Half  mad  with  terror  and  despair  they  turned  upon 
him  a  shower  of  abuse  couched  in  the  foulest  terms 
and  voiced  in  a  dozen  different  dialects.  They 
cursed  his  country  and  his  Queen.  Then  some  one 
announced  the  discovery  that  he  was  the  only  heretic 
on  board,  and  the  superstitious  peasants  at  once 
became  convinced  that  the  storm  was  attributable 
to  his  presence  and  that  the  ship  could  only  be  saved 
on  condition  of  getting  rid  of  him. 

Cries  of  "  Overboard  with  the  heretic !  Throw 
the  renegade  into  the  sea !  "  rose  on  every  side,  and 
many  approached  him  menacingly  flourishing  their 
staves.  John  set  his  back  against  the  mast  and  drew 
his  sword,  determined,  if  he  must,  to  sell  his  life 
dearly.  For  awhile  the  threatening  weapon  held 
the  crowd  at  bay,  but  one  crept  up  from  behind  and 
knocked  it  from  our  hero's  hand.  Immediately  a 
rush  was  made  upon  him.  He  was  seized  by  many 
hands  and  dragged  to  the  side  of  the  vessel.  With 
their  curses  still  ringing  in  his  ears  John  sank  beneath 
the  waves. 

All  this  occupied  some  time  during  which  the  mas 
ter  had,  with  the  assistance  of  two  of  the  seamen, 
contrived  to  run  his  vessel  under  the  lee  of  a  small 
island.  When  John,  who  was  a  strong  swimmer, 
6  81 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

came  to  the  surface,  he  made  for  the  islet  which  was 
scarce  a  mile  distant.  A  few  strokes  satisfied  him 
that  he  must  rid  himself  of  his  heavy  cloak,  which 
was  easily  done  since  it  fastened  only  at  the  neck. 
He  next  kicked  off  his  shoes  and  cast  away  his 
belt  and  scabbard.  But  it  was  still  doubtful  if  he 
could  make  the  goal  in  the  rough  sea.  Every  ounce 
of  dead  weight  would  count,  and  at  last  he  reluc 
tantly  took  his  heavy  purse  from  his  pocket  and 
allowed  it  to  sink.  When  at  length  his  feet  touched 
bottom  and  he  staggered  out  of  the  water  our 
adventurer  was  completely  exhausted. 

John  threw  himself  behind  a  large  rock  which 
gave  shelter  from  the  chill  wind,  and  there  he 
lay  for  an  hour  or  more  before  he  could  gather 
sufficient  strength  to  walk.  When  he  arose  the  night 
was  falling  and  a  driving  rain  had  set  in.  A  brief 
survey  of  the  little  island  satisfied  him  that  it  was 
uninhabited.  With  that  knowledge  he  faced  the 
prospect  of  a  night  in  the  open  air  under  the  beating 
rain.  What  might  lie  beyond  that  he  did  not  care 
to  surmise. 


VI. 

DARKNESS  AND    DAWN 


A  LONELY  NIGHT  WITH  COLD,  WET  AND  HUNGER — JOHN  FALLS 
OVER  A  GOAT  AND  IS  HEARTENED — A  FRIENDLY  SHIP  AND 
RESCUE — JOHN  SAILS  WITH  CAPTAIN  LA  ROCHE  IN  THE 
BRITAINE — LEARNS  HOW  TO  NAVIGATE  A  SHIP  AND  HANDLE 
BIG  GUNS — LA  ROCHE  CRUISES  IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURE — 
FALLS  IN  WITH  A  VENETIAN  ARGOSY — THE  VENETIAN 

FIRES  A  SHOT  AND  DRAWS  BLOOD — A  FIERCE  FIGHT  IN  WHICH 

THE  BRITAINE  is  FINALLY  VICTORIOUS — JOHN  is  LANDED  IN 
PIEDMONT  WITH  A  FAT  PURSE — HE  JOURNEYS  TO  GRATZ 
AND  SECURES  AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  LEADERS  IN  THE 
ARCHDUKE'S  ARMY — GIVES  AN  EXHIBITION  OF  SUPERB 
HORSEMANSHIP  AND  IS  APPOINTED  ENSIGN  IN  THE  REGIMENT 
OF  EARL  MELDRITCH. 

COLD  and  hungry,  wet  and  weary,  John  spent 
what  seemed  to  him  to  be  an  endless  night,  pacing 
about  to  keep  his  blood  in  circulation.  He  dared  not 
sleep,  for  that  would  be  to  court  death,  and  so  he 
could  find  no  relief  from  his  gloomy  thoughts  in  the 
pitchy  darkness.  Here  he  was  on  an  unoccupied 
island  and  here  he  might  remain  until  starvation — 
but  no,  he  would  not  believe  that  Dame  Fortune, 
who  had  so  often  displayed  a  kindly  disposition 
towards  him,  proposed  to  desert  him  in  this 
extremity. 

"  My  faith ! "  said  John,  speaking  aloud  to 
83 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

hearten  himself,  whilst  he  drew  his  waistband  tighter. 
"  If  the  good  dame  knows  aught  of  the  craving  of 
my  stomach  she  will  surely  hasten  her  ministrations. 
Would  I  had  saved  my  shoes  or  e'en  my  swordbelt ! 
Leather,  though  not  o'er  palatable  I  ween,  will,  so 
I  have  read,  keep  life  in  one's  body  for  a  spell  but 
one  can  scarce  eat  fustian."  Here  John's  soliloquy 
was  suddenly  interrupted  as  he  tripped  over  an  object 
lying  in  his  path.  As  he  lay  upon  the  ground  he 
heard  some  animal  scampering  away  in  the  darkness. 
"  A  goat !  "  said  John,  when  he  had  recovered  from 
his  surprise.  "  Where  there  is  one  goat,  there  are 
two.  And  where  there  are  two  goats,  there  is  a  she- 
goat.  And  where  there  is  a  she-goat,  there  is  milk. 
My  lady,"  he  continued,  rising  and  making  a  low 
bow,  "  your  humble  servant  will  do  himself  the 
honor  of  calling  upon  you  as  soon  as  decency  and 
light  permit." 

This  incident  cheered  our  hero  as  it  relieved  his 
mind  of  the  chief  anxiety  that  beset  it.  He  had  no 
wish  to  shirk  the  accidents  and  hardships  of  life; 
in  fact,  he  rather  enjoyed  them,  but  the  thought  of 
death  is  naturally  repugnant  to  a  robust  youth  and 
especially  to  one  full  of  ambition  and  love  of  action. 
He  was  always  of  a  philosophic  turn  of  mind,  and 
as  he  reflected  on  the  recent  incident  the  significance 
of  it  caused  him  to  smile. 

"  In  the  direst  straits,"  he  thought,  "  the  remedy 
is  at  our  hand  if  we  will  but  find  it,  though  it  be  by 

84 


HE   HASTENED   DOWN  TO   THE  WATER'S   EDGE   AND  SHOUTED   LUSTILY 


DARKNESS  AND  DAWN 

falling  over  it.  What  babes  we  be !  We  cry  though 
the  pitcher  but  rock  and  we  cry  when  the  milk  is 
spilt.  Many  a  man  dons  mail  when  swaddling 
clothes  would  better  befit  him." 

With  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  John,  now  raven 
ously  hungry,  began  to  look  around  for  the  she-goat 
which  he  felt  confident  of  finding  with  many  com 
panions  on  the  islet.  He  had  pursued  this  quest 
but  a  few  minutes  when  his  heart  was  delighted  by 
the  sight  of  a  ship  lying  at  anchor  near  this  refuge. 
It  had  taken  shelter  behind  the  island  from  the  storm 
of  the  day  before  and  was  now  making  preparations 
for  departure,  as  John  could  see  from  where  he 
stood.  He  hastened  down  to  the  water's  edge  and 
shouted  lustily.  The  wind  was  fortunately  favor 
able  and  at  length  he  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
people  on  board.  A  boat  was  lowered  and  our 
hero,  with  scarce  strength  enough  to  stand,  soon 
found  himself  on  the  deck  of  a  French  merchantman. 
The  master,  perceiving  his  condition,  had  him  taken 
below,  where  he  was  fed,  dressed  in  dry  clothes  and 
left  to  sleep. 

When  John  awoke,  refreshed  after  a  long  rest, 
the  vessel  was  scudding  along  under  a  brisk  breeze 
and  the  setting  sun  proclaimed  the  close  of  another 
day.  Our  hero  went  on  deck,  blithe  and  eager  for 
what  new  adventures  the  strange  whirligig  of  life 
might  have  in  store  for  him.  The  captain,  after  the 
fashion  of  seamen,  extended  a  hearty  greeting  and 

85 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

invited  John  to  sup  with  him.  Over  the  meal  the 
young  Englishman  told  his  story.  At  its  conclusion, 
Captain  La  Roche,  for  such  was  his  name,  rose  and 
shook  his  guest  warmly  by  the  hand. 

"  Fortune  has  thrown  you  in  my  way,"  said  the 
captain,  with  a  genial  smile.  "  I  am  from  St.  Malo 
and  Count  Ployer  is  my  dear  friend  and  patron. 
For  his  sake  I  would  do  much  for  you,  if  your  story 
and  bearing  had  not  drawn  me  to  yourself.  You 
shall  be  put  ashore  this  night  if  that  be  your  wish,  but 
it  would  please  me  greatly  should  you  decide  to  con 
tinue  on  the  voyage  with  me.  I  am  bound  for  Alex 
andria  and  thereafter  may  seek  some  profitable 
adventure.  In  the  space  of  a  few  months  I  shall 
land  you  somewhere  in  Italy — with  a  fat  purse,  and 
I  mistake  not.  What  say  you  ?  " 

John  had  always  felt  a  strong  desire  for  the  life 
of  the  sea,  and  in  those  days  the  complete  soldier 
was  more  than  half  a  sailor.  The  experience  would 
be  profitable  and,  in  any  case,  the  proposition  seemed 
to  hold  out  a  better  prospect  of  eventually  reaching 
Hungary  than  by  starting  penniless  to  walk  across 
the  Continent.  Besides,  if  the  truth  be  told,  John's 
recent  term  of  tramping  had  more  than  satisfied 
him  with  that  mode  of  travel  for  awhile.  He  ac 
cepted  Captain  La  Roche's  offer  without  hesitation. 

La  Roche  was  the  owner,  as  well  as  the  master, 
of  his  vessel,  which  he  called  the  Britalne,  in  honor 
of  his  native  province.  It  was  a  heavily  armed  ship 

86 


DARKNESS  AND  DAWN 

of  two  hundred  tons  burden,  carrying  a  crew  of 
sixty  men.  Such  a  number  were  not  of  course 
needed  to  manage  a  ship  of  that  size.  The  excuse 
for  their  presence  was  found  in  the  prevalence  of 
piracy  but,  as  we  shall  see,  their  duties  were  not 
entirely  of  a  defensive  character.  The  truth  of  the 
matter  is  that  La  Roche,  like  many  another  reputable 
ship-captain  of  his  time,  was  himself  more  than  half 
a  pirate.  His  vessel  was  a  combination  of  mer 
chantman  and  privateer  with  authority  to  attack  the 
ships  of  nations  at  war  with  his  country.  The  condi 
tion  was  very  laxly  observed,  however,  and  might, 
more  often  than  political  considerations,  governed 
in  such  matters.  When  the  relations  of  the  powers 
to  one  another  were  constantly  changing  and  a 
voyage  frequently  occupied  a  year,  a  captain's  safest 
course  was  to  treat  every  foreign  sail  as  an  enemy 
and  either  to  attack  it  or  to  run  from  it.  With  a 
valuable  cargo  such  as  La  Roche  had  on  this  occa 
sion,  the  master  of  a  vessel  would  generally  try  to 
make  a  peaceful  voyage  to  the  port  of  destination. 
If  a  similar  cargo  could  not  be  secured  for  the  return 
voyage,  he  would  try  to  compensate  himself  for  the 
failure  by  taking  a  prize. 

The  voyage  to  Alexandria  was  completed  without 
incident  of  importance.  John  improved  the  oppor 
tunity  to  learn  all  that  he  could  about  seamanship 
and  the  handling  of  big  guns.  Before  the  vessel 
made  port  Captain  La  Roche  pronounced  his  pupil 

87 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

a  very  creditable  mariner  and  almost  capable  of  sail 
ing  the  ship  himself.  Having  discharged  his  cargo, 
the  captain  proceeded  to  the  Ionian  Sea  for  the  pur 
pose,  as  he  said,  of  learning  "  what  ships  were  in 
the  road,"  or,  in  other  words,  to  see  if  there  was 
anything  about  upon  which  he  could  prey. 

A  few  days  had  been  spent  in  this  quest,  when  a 
large  Venetian  argosy  was  sighted  in  the  straits  of 
Otranto.  Now  the  Venetians,  sinking  all  other  con 
siderations  than  those  of  greed  and  self-interest,  had 
entered  into  a  treaty  with  the  Turks.  In  this  fact 
Captain  La  Roche  might  have  found  sufficient  ex 
cuse  for  attacking  the  richly  laden  ship,  but  a  better 
was  forthcoming.  It  was  one  of  those  great  un 
wieldy  craft  in  which  the  merchants  of  Venice  sent 
cargoes  of  fabulous  worth  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 
Its  size  was  more  than  twice  that  of  the  Britaine  and 
its  armament  at  least  equal  to  hers.  The  latter, 
however,  had  all  the  advantage  in  speed  and  ability 
to  manceuvre — a  highly  important  quality,  as  the 
Spaniards  had  learnt  a  few  years  previously  when 
their  great  Armada  was  destroyed  by  the  compara 
tively  small  English  ships. 

The  Venetian,  seeing  the  Britaine  lying  in  his  path 
and  realizing  that  he  would  have  little  chance  in 
flight,  endeavored  to  frighten  the  other  off  with  a 
shot.  As  luck  would  have  it,  the  ball  took  off  the 
head  of  a  seaman  on  the  deck  of  the  French  vessel. 
This  furnished  La  Roche  with  an  ample  pretext  for 

88 


DARKNESS  AND  DAWN 

attacking  the  argosy.  Running  across  her  bow,  he 
raked  her  fore  and  aft,  in  passing,  with  his  starboard 
guns.  Putting  about,  he  returned  under  her  stern, 
but  as  the  high  poop  afforded  an  effective  bulwark, 
less  damage  was  done  by  his  fire.  The  Venetian's 
mast  and  rigging  were  now  too  badly  damaged  to 
permit  of  her  sailing  and  the  Frenchman,  who  had 
so  far  escaped  hurt,  determined  to  board.  He 
brought  his  vessel  alongside  the  other  and  made  fast 
with  the  grappling  irons.  The  Venetian  had  a 
larger  crew  than  her  enemy  and  they  repulsed  the 
attack  of  the  Frenchmen  with  determination.  Twice 
the  boarders  succeeded  in  gaining  the  deck  of  the 
larger  vessel  and  each  time  they  were  beaten  back 
after  a  furious  hand  to  hand  combat.  Captain  La 
Roche,  with  John  by  his  side,  led  the  second  of  these 
assaults.  They  were  the  first  on  the  deck,  and  shoul 
der  to  shoulder  fought  their  way  towards  the  poop 
where  the  commander  of  the  argosy  stood.  They 
had  almost  reached  the  spot,  when  La  Roche  glanc 
ing  back,  saw  that  they  were  cut  off  from  his  men, 
who  were  retreating  to  their  own  vessel.  To  return 
was  out  of  the  question.  The  only  hope  lay  in 
breaking  through  the  men  who  stood  between  them 
and  the  farther  side  of  the  ship. 

"  It  is  overboard  with  us  lad,  if  we  would  not 
be  taken  prisoners,"  he  cried.  "  Gare  de  Id,!  Gare 
de  devant!" 

The  seamen  fell  back  before  the  fierce  charge 
89 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

of  the  two  men  whose  swords  whistled  through  the 
air  in  sweeping  strokes.  In  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  tell,  they  had  reached  the  side  and  had  plunged 
into  the  sea.  Swimming  round  the  stern  of  the 
Venetian,  they  came  upon  the  Britaine,  which  had 
cast  off  and  was  preparing  to  sail  away  with  the  idea 
that  the  captain  had  been  killed. 

As  soon  as  he  regained  the  deck  of  his  vessel, 
Captain  La  Roche  ordered  the  guns  to  be  reshotted. 
When  this  had  been  done  he  poured  two  broadsides 
into  the  argosy  with  such  effect  that  she  was  on  the 
verge  of  sinking.  Once  more  the  Frenchman  ranged 
alongside  and  sent  his  boarders  to  the  attack.  This 
time  they  met  with  little  resistance,  for  half  the  crew 
of  the  injured  vessel  were  engaged  in  stopping  the 
holes  in  her  side.  The  fight  had  lasted  for  an  hour 
and  a  half  and  when  the  Venetian  surrendered, 
twenty  of  her  men  lay  dead  upon  the  deck  and  as 
many  more  were  wounded.  On  his  side  Captain 
La  Roche  had  lost  fifteen  of  his  crew  and  eight  were 
incapacitated  by  sword  cuts. 

La  Roche  could  not  spare  a  prize  crew  to  man 
the  argosy  even  had  he  been  willing  to  face  the 
enquiry  that  must  have  followed  taking  her  into 
port.  Therefore  he  first  secured  his  prisoners  and 
then  proceeded  to  transfer  as  much  as  possible  of  the 
cargo  of  the  Venetian  to  his  own  ship.  This  task 
occupied  twenty-four  hours,  and  when  the  Britaine 
had  been  filled,  there  remained  upon  her  prize  at 

90 


DARKNESS  AND  DAWN 

least  as  much  as  had  been  taken  out  of  her.  With 
this  handsome  remainder  the  Frenchman  abandoned 
her  and  her  crew  to  their  fate,  which  was  probably 
to  be  rifled  by  the  very  next  ship  that  chanced  along. 
The  spoils  consisted  of  silks,  velvets,  and  other  rich 
stuffs,  jewels,  works  of  art,  and  a  considerable  quan 
tity  of  money.  John's  share  of  the  prize  amounted 
to  five  hundred  sequins  and  a  box  of  jewels,  in  all 
worth  about  twenty-five  hundred  dollars — a  much 
larger  sum  in  those  days  than  in  these.  Shortly 
after  this  affair  Captain  La  Roche  landed  our  hero 
in  Piedmont,  with  "  a  fat  purse  "  as  he  had  promised. 

John  had  now  accomplished  one  more  step  in  his 
project  of  engaging  in  the  campaign  against  the 
Turks  and  was  at  last  within  easy  distance  of  his 
goal.  Had  he  been  of  a  mercenary  disposition  his 
experience  with  Captain  La  Roche  might  have  in 
duced  him  to  attach  himself  permanently  to  the  per 
son  of  that  gallant  sailor,  but  during  all  his  life  John 
Smith  displayed  a  disregard  for  money,  except  in  so 
far  as  it  was  necessary  to  the  attainment  of  some 
important  end.  Therefore  it  was  with  no  reluctance 
that  he  turned  his  back  on  the  sea  and  set  forward 
for  Gratz  where  the  Archduke  maintained  his  head 
quarters.  On  the  way  he  had  the  opportunity  to  see 
many  Italian  cities  and  passed  through  Rome,  but 
he  did  not  linger  unnecessarily  on  the  road. 

At  Gratz  John  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with 
a  countryman  who  enjoyed  some  acquaintance  with 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

the  leaders  in  the  Christian  army.  This  gentleman 
presented  the  young  adventurer  to  Lord  Ebersberg, 
Baron  Kissel,  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  and  other  gen 
erals  attached  to  the  Imperial  forces.  These  officers 
were  attracted  by  the  young  man's  soldierly  bearing 
and  impressed  by  the  persistent  manner  in  which  he 
had  pursued  his  project  and  the  pains  he  had  been 
at  to  reach  the  seat  of  war.  They  were,  however, 
very  busy  with  preparations  for  the  campaign  and 
would  likely  enough  have  forgotten  so  humble  an 
individual  as  John, Smith  but  for  a  fortunate  incident 
that,  although  trivial  in  itself,  had  an  important 
influence  upon  our  hero's  future  career. 

One  day  as  he  was  passing  by  a  large  mansion  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  city,  John  was  attracted  to  a 
crowd  which  had  gathered  round  two  footmen  who 
were  with  difficulty  holding  a  plunging  horse.  It 
was  a  magnificent  Barbary  steed  with  coal  black 
silky  coat,  but  it  was  apparent  at  a  glance  that  the 
animal  had  not  been  broken  in,  if,  indeed,  it  had  ever 
had  a  saddle  upon  its  back.  John ,  had  hardly 
reached  the  spot  when  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  and  a 
companion  came  out  of  the  house  and  approached. 
The  Earl  displayed  annoyance  when  he  saw  the  wild 
creature  plunging  and  lashing  out  with  its  hind 
feet.  He  had,  it  appeared  from  his  remarks,  bought 
the  beast  without  seeing  it  and  was  thoroughly  dis 
gusted  with  his  bargain. 

"  It  is  a  fit  charger  for  Beelzebub,  if,  indeed,  it 
92 


DARKNESS  AND  DAWN 

be  not  the  fiend  incarnate,"  he  cried.  "  I  would  not 
trust  myself  upon  the  back  of  such  a  beast  for  all 
the  wealth  of  the  Indies." 

Hearing  this  John  stepped  up  to  the  nobleman  and 
said  with  a  respectful  salute : 

"  If  it  please  your  lordship,  I  should  like  well 
to  try  conclusions  with  yon  animal." 

"  You  would  ride  it ! "  cried  the  Earl  in  amaze 
ment. 

"  With  your  lordship's  consent  I  would  essay 
to  do  as  much,"  replied  John. 

Permission  having  been  granted,  a  saddle  was  sent 
for.  In  the  meantime  our  hero  stroked  the  horse's 
head  as  well  as  he  could  for  its  prancing,  whilst  he 
spoke  to  it  in  a  low  caressing  tone  of  voice.  The 
animal  seemed  to  yield  somewhat  to  the  influence 
of  this  treatment,  for  it  grew  quieter,  but  the  saddle 
was  not  put  on  without  great  difficulty.  John  sprang 
into  the  seat,  at  the  same  time  ordering  the  grooms 
to  let  go.  Immediately  the  horse  began  to  act  as 
though  possessed.  It  stood  upright  upon  its  hind 
feet.  It  tried  to  stand  upon  its  head.  It  leapt  here 
and  there.  It  spun  around  like  a  cockchafer  on  a  pin. 
It  darted  forward  and  suddenly  stopped.  In  short, 
it  tried  all  the  tricks  with  which  a  horse  endeavors 
to  throw  its  rider.  But  John  had  not  learnt  riding 
from  one  of  the  best  horsemen  in  England  for  noth 
ing.  He  sat  his  saddle  easily  through  all  the  ani 
mal's  antics  and  when  its  fury  began  to  abate  he 

93 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

urged  it  forward  at  full  speed  and  dashed  over  the 
neighboring  plain  and  out  of  sight. 

It  was  an  hour  later  when  John  rode  up  to  Earl 
Meldritch's  residence.  The  nobleman  came  out  to 
meet  him  and  was  surprised  to  see  that  he  managed 
the  now-subdued  steed  without  difficulty.  He  rode 
it  back  and  forth,  made  it  turn  this  way  and  that, 
start  and  stop  at  will,  and,  in  fact,  had  it  under 
almost  perfect  control.  The  Earl  did  not  attempt 
to  disguise  his  admiration.  On  the  contrary,  he 
then  and  there  made  our  hero  a  present  of  the  black 
charger  and  gave  him  an  appointment  as  ensign  in 
his  own  regiment  of  cavalry. 

John  was  now  attached  to  the  Imperial  army  in 
an  honorable  capacity,  and  in  the  course  of  his 
duties  he  made  the  better  acquaintance  of  some  of 
the  higher"  officers.  This  was  the  case  in  particular 
with  Lord  Ebersberg,  who  found  that  the  young 
Englishman  had  made  a  study  of  those  branches  of 
tactics  in  which  he  himself  was  most  interested. 
These  two  had  many  discussions  and  on  one  occa 
sion  John  imparted  to  the  general  some  ideas  of  sig 
nalling  which  he  had  gathered  from  the  pages  of 
Polybius.  This  particular  conversation  had  an  im 
portant  bearing  on  the  issue  of  a  great  battle  at  a 
later  date. 


94 


VII. 

SOME   STRATAGEMS 


JOHN  MARCHES  WITH  THE  ARMY  AGAINST  THE  TURKS — 
HELPS  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  OUT  OF  A  DILEMMA — THE 
SIGNAL  MESSAGE  WITH  TORCHES — "  Al  THE  ALARUM,  SALLY 
YOU" — JOHN'S  DUMMY  BATTALIONS  OF  MATCHLOCK  MEN 
DECEIVE  THE  ENEMY — BARON  KlSSEL  ATTACKS  THE  TURKISH 
ARMY  AND  ROUTS  IT  WITH  GREAT  SLAUGHTER — THE  CAM 
PAIGN  IN  TRANSYLVANIA — ALBA  REGALIS  is  ATTACKED — 
JOHN  DEVISES  A  SCHEME  FOR  ENTERING  THE  CITY — His 
"FIERY  DRAGONS"  WORK  HAVOC  WITHIN  THE  WALLS — THE 
PLACE  IS  TAKEN  BY  ASSAULT  AFTER  A  FIERCE  FIGHT — SlXTY 
THOUSAND  MOSLEMS  ADVANCE  TO  RETAKE  IT — JOHN  is 

PROMOTED. 

JOHN  SMITH'S  brief  experiences  in  Holland  had 
merely  served  to  whet  his  appetite  for  soldiering. 
He  was  now  in  a  fair  way  to  see  fighting  of  the 
hardest  kind.  The  year  1601  was  drawing  to  a 
close.  It  had  been  distinguished  by  constant  conflict 
of  the  fiercest  description  between  the  Christian  and 
Turkish  armies,  with  the  advantage  on  the  whole 
on  the  side  of  the  latter.  The  Turks  had  ravaged 
Hungary,  had  recently  taken  the  important  strong 
hold  of  Caniza,  and  were  threatening  Ober-Limbach. 
Lord  Ebersberg  was  despatched  to  the  defence  of 
that  place  with  a  small  force,  whilst  Baron  Kissel 

95 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

followed  as  soon  as  possible  with  an  additional 
body  of  ten  thousand  men,  including  the  Earl  of 
Meldritch's  regiment. 

The  Baron  arrived  to  find  that,  although  Ebers- 
berg  had  contrived  to  enter  the  town,  its  investment 
was  now  completed  by  an  army  of  twenty  thousand 
Turks,  which  effectually  shut  out  the  intended  rein 
forcement.  The  situation  was  extremely  critical, 
for  Ober-Limbach  is  but  a  few  miles  to  the  north  of 
Caniza,  whence  a  force  of  the  enemy  might  issue 
at  any  time  and  attack  the  Baron  in  the  rear. 
Prompt  action  was  absolutely  necessary,  but  how  to 
act  was  difficult  to  decide  upon.  To  retreat  would 
be  to  abandon  the  town  and  its  garrison  to  certain 
capture.  To  openly  attack  a  strongly  posted  army 
of  twice  his  strength  appeared  too  hazardous  for 
consideration  by  the  commander.  However,  some 
thing  had  to  be  done,  and  that  right  quickly,  so  it 
was  determined  to  make  an  assault  under  cover  of 
night  when  the  advantage  of  numbers  would  be 
somewhat  lessened.  Indeed,  if  the  co-operation  of 
the  garrison  could  be  secured  under  such  circum 
stances,  the  chances  of  success  would  be  considerable. 
But  how  to  communicate  with  Lord  Ebersberg  was 
beyond  Baron  Kissel's  conception,  for  it  was  practi 
cally  impossible  to  pass  through  the  Turkish  lines. 

These  matters  were  discussed  in  a  council  of  the 
principal  officers,  and  when  he  returned  to  his  tent 
the  Earl  of  Meldritch  explained  the  situation  to  the 

96 


SOME  STRATAGEMS 

young  ensign  who  was  upon  his  staff  and  of  whose 
good  sense  and  knowledge  he  began  to  entertain  a 
high  estimate.  When  John  understood  the  dilemma 
in  which  the  Commander-in-Chief  was  placed,  he 
expressed  a  belief  that  he  could  convey  a  message 
to  Lord  Ebersberg,  provided  it  was  short  and  simple. 
To  the  astonished  Earl  he  related  his  conversation 
with  the  German  general  on  the  subject  of  signalling 
which  had  not  yet  found  a  place  in  the  tactics  of 
European  armies.  John  had  no  doubt  that  Lord 
Ebersberg  would  remember  the  simple  code  of  sig 
nals  which  he  had  suggested  to  him,  since  he  had 
shown  a  keen  interest  in  the  matter.  The  Earl 
immediately  informed  the  Commander-in-Chief  of 
his  young  subordinate's  idea,  and  the  Baron  wrote 
a  message  which  was,  if  possible,  to  be  transmitted 
to  the  garrison. 

As  soon  as  darkness  had  set  in,  John,  accompanied 
by  the  principal  officers  of  the  army,  who  were  of 
course  deeply  interested  in  the  trial,  made  his  way 
to  the  top  of  a  hill  which  overlooked  the  town.  He 
was  supplied  with  a  number  of  torches  by  means  of 
which  he  proposed  to  send  to  Lord  Ebersberg  the 
following  despatch :  "  Tomorrow  at  night  I  will 
charge  on  the  east ;  at  the  alarum  sally  you.  Kis 
sel."  As  a  first  step,  which  would  answer  to  the 
"  call  up "  signal  of  modern  heliographers,  three 
lighted  torches  were  fixed  at  equal  distances  apart 
and  left  exposed,  awaiting  the  answer  from  the 
7  97 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

other  end  to  indicate  that  the  signal  was  understood 
and  that  the  receivers  were  on  the  alert  to  take  the 
message.  The  minutes  lengthened  into  a  quarter- 
hour,  into  a  half,  and  at  length  a  full  hour  had  slowly 
dragged  by  without  any  sign  from  the  garrison. 
The  torches  burnt  low  and  the  disappointed  officers 
turned  to  leave  the  spot.  A  captain  laughed  de 
risively,  but  was  sternly  checked  by  the  Earl  of 
Meldritch. 

"  The  fault  is  not  with  the  lad,"  he  said.  "  He 
hath  done  his  part  but  I  fear  the  essay  goes  for 
nought." 

"  Nay,"  replied  John  promptly,  "  Lord  Ebersberg 
hath  not  seen  my  lights,  else  he  would  have  under 
stood.  Yonder  sentries  be  dullards.  The  next  re 
lief  may  bring  one  of  sharper  wit  and  the  general 
will  surely  make  the  round  of  the  ramparts  before 
he  seeks  his  couch.  I  keep  my  torches  burning 
though  it  be  through  the  night." 

With  that  he  set  up  three  fresh  lights  and  folded 
his  arms  with  an  air  of  quiet  determination. 

The  young  soldier's  confidence  infected  his  colonel 
and  though  the  others  departed  hopeless  of  the 
experiment,  the  Earl  remained  with  John.  They 
had  not  long  to  wait  for  a  reward  of  their  patience. 
Hardly  had  the  party  of  doubters  reached  the  bottom 
of  the  hill  when  three  torches  set  in  a  row  appeared 
upon  the  ramparts  of  the  besieged  town.  They  were 
surely  in  answer  to  his  signal,  but  in  order  to  be  cer- 


SOME  STRATAGEMS 

tain  John  lowered  his  lights.  The  others  were 
immediately  lowered  and  again  set  up  in  response  to 
a  similar  action  on  his  part.  He  now  proceeded  to 
send  the  message  in  German  which  was  the  native 
language  of  the  general  and  the  tongue  in  which 
he  had  conversed  with  John. 

The  letters  of  the  alphabet  were  idicated  in  a  very 
simple  manner  and  on  the  principle  that  is  employed 
at  this  day  in  heliographing  or  in  signalling  with 
lamps.  Two  of  the  standing  lights  were  extin 
guished.  The  letters  were  made  by  alternately  show 
ing  and  hiding  a  torch  a  certain  number  of  times 
to  the  left  or  right  of  the  standing  light.  Dividing 
the  alphabet  into  two  parts  from  A  to  L  and  from  M 
to  Z,  a  torch  shown  once  to  the  left  would  mean  A ; 
to  the  right  M.  A  torch  alternately  exhibited  and 
hidden  to  the  left  of  the  standing  light  three  times 
would  signify  C.  The  same  thing  on  the  right 
would  be  read  as  O  and  so  on.  The  end  of  a  word 
was  marked  by  showing  three  lights  and  the  receivers 
indicated  that  they  had  read  it  successfully  by  hold 
ing  up  one  torch.  At  the  conclusion  three  torches 
set  up  by  the  receiving  party  as  originally,  signified 
that  they  had  fully  understood  the  message. 

The  despatch  went  through  without  a  hitch,  and 
it  was  with  proud  satisfaction  that  John  saw  the 
three  final  lights  displayed  telling  that  his  important 
task  had  been  accomplished  with  perfect  success. 
The  Earl  of  Meldritch  expressed  his  delight  in  no 

99 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

measured  terms  as  they  hurried  to  the  tent  of  Baron 
Kissel  to  apprise  him  of  the  happy  conclusion  of  the 
experiment.  The  news  soon  spread  through  the 
camp,  and  whilst  it  made  John  Smith's  name  known 
to  the  army,  it  inspirited  the  troops  with  the  prospect 
of  support  from  their  beleaguered  comrades  in  the 
morrow's  attack. 

Whilst  the  communication  with  Lord  Ebersberg 
had  greatly  improved  the  situation,  it  left  Baron 
Kissel  still  seriously  anxious  with  regard  to  the 
issue.  Even  counting  the  garrison,  the  Christians 
would  be  inferior  in  numbers  to  the  enemy  who 
were,  moreover,  strongly  entrenched.  Scouts  had 
ascertained  that  the  Turkish  army  maintained  a  com 
plete  cordon  of  outposts  at  night,  so  that  there  was 
little  prospect  of  taking  their  main  body  by  surprise. 

The  morning  after  the  affair  of  the  torches,  the 
Commander-in-Chief  and  his  staff  stood  upon  an 
eminence  commanding  the  scene  of  the  conflict  and 
discussed  plans  for  the  attack.  John  was  present 
in  attendance  upon  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  and  over 
heard  enough  of  the  remarks  to  realize  that  the  gen 
erals  were  far  from  confident  of  success.  In  fact, 
Baron  Kissel  was  anything  but  an  enterprising  com 
mander,  and  his  timidity  naturally  infected  the  offi 
cers  under  him.  Young  as  he  was,  John  had  a  con 
siderable  knowledge  of  military  tactics  but,  which 
was  more  to  the  purpose,  he  possessed  the  eye  and 
the  instinct  of  a  born  soldier.  As  he  gazed  across 

100 


SOME  STRATAGEMS 

the  ground  occupied  by  the  Turkish  army,  to  the  town 
beyond,  these  qualities  enabled  him  to  estimate  the 
position  and  the  possibilities  of  strategy  with  surer 
judgment  than  even  the  veterans  beside  him.  He 
noted  that  the  river  Raab  divided  the  Ottoman  force 
into  two  equal  bodies  and  he  realized  that  the  key 
to  success  in  the  coming  action  lay  in  keeping  these 
apart.  Before  the  party  returned  to  camp  he  had 
formed  a  plan  which  he  imparted  to  his  colonel  at 
the  first  opportunity. 

The  flint-lock  had  not  yet  come  into  use.  Foot 
soldiers  went  into  action  carrying  their  cumbersome 
guns  with  a  piece  of  resin-soaked  rope  attached  to 
the  stock.  This  was  called  a  "  match,"  being  used 
to  ignite  the  powder  in  the  pan.  It  burned  slowly, 
and  of  course  could  be  replenished  at  will.  John's 
plan  was  to  counterfeit  several  regiments  of  men 
standing  with  matchlocks  ready  to  fire.  The  Earl 
heartily  approved  the  suggestion,  as  did  Baron  Kis 
sel,  and  placed  the  necessary  men  and  material  at 
the  disposal  of  the  young  ensign.  John  stretched 
between  posts  a  number  of  lengths  of  rope  at  about 
the  height  of  a  man's  waist.  Along  these  he  tied,  at 
intervals  of  two  feet,  "  matches  "  similar  to  those 
which  have  been  described.  As  soon  as  darkness 
set  in  these  were  lighted  and  each  contrivance  was 
carried  out  by  two  men  and  set  up  in  the  plain  of 
Eisenberg,  which  lay  to  the  west  of  Ober-Limbach. 
To  the  Turks  the  long  lines  of  flickering  lights  must 

101 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

have  looked  like  companies  and  regiments  of  soldiers 
marching  and  taking  up  position. 

Whilst  this  strategem  was  being  carried  out  Baron 
Kissel  advanced  his  entire  force  of  ten  thousand  men 
against  that  portion  of  the  Turkish  army  that  lay 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  river.  Upon  these  they 
charged  vigorously,  and  at  the  same  time  Lord 
Ebersberg,  with  his  garrison  of  five  thousand, 
attacked  them  in  flank.  The  Turks  thus  assailed 
on  two  sides  and  being  unable  in  the  darkness  to 
ascertain  the  strength  of  the  enemy,  fell  into  con 
fusion  and  were  slaughtered  with  ease.  The  other 
portion  of  the  Ottoman  army,  confronted  as  it  imag 
ined  itself  to  be  by  a  strong  force,  had  not  dared 
to  move  from  its  position  and  stood  alarmed  and 
irresolute  until  Baron  Kissel  fell  upon  its  rear  after 
having  completely  routed  the  former  body.  The 
Moslems  offered  no  resistance  but  fled  panic- 
stricken  into  the  night,  leaving  their  camp  and  thou 
sands  of  killed  and  wounded  in  the  hands  of  the 
victors. 

A  large  quantity  of  provisions  and  other  necessi 
ties  were  found  in  the  Turkish  camp  and  removed 
to  the  town.  Thus  furnished  and  reinforced  by  two 
thousand  picked  soldiers  from  Kissel's  command,  the 
place  was  in  good  condition  to  withstand  further 
attack,  and  so  the  Baron  left  it,  proceeding  north  to 
Kerment.  John  Smith's  share  in  this  important 
engagement  was  not  overlooked.  The  Earl  of  Mel- 

102 


SOME  STRATAGEMS 

dritch  publicly  declared  himself  proud  of  his  young 
protege  and  secured  for  him  the  command  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  horse  in  his  own  regiment.  Thus 
before  he  had  reached  his  twenty-second  year  John 
had  earned  a  captaincy  and  the  respectful  regard  of 
his  superior  officers. 

Winter  brought  about  a  temporary  cessation  of 
hostilities  and  on  their  resumption,  early  the  next 
year,  a  reorganization  of  the  Imperial  army  was 
made.  Three  great  divisions  were  formed:  One, 
under  the  Archduke  Matthias  and  the  Due  de  Mer- 
cceur,  to  operate  in  Lower  Hungary;  the  second, 
under  Archduke  Ferdinand  and  the  Duke  of  Mantua, 
to  retake  Caniza;  and  the  third,  under  Generals 
Gonzago  and  Busca,  for  service  in  Transylvania. 
The  regiment  of  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  was  assigned 
to  duty  with  the  first  division  and  attached  to  the 
corps  commanded  by  the  Due  de  Mercceur.  Thus 
strangely  enough  our  hero  found  himself  after  all 
serving  under  the  very  leader  to  whom  the  trickster 
De  Preau  had  promised  to  conduct  him. 

With  an  army  of  thirty  thousand,  one-third  of 
whom  were  Frenchmen,  the  Due  addressed  himself 
to  the  capture  of  the  stronghold  of  Stuhlweissen- 
burg,  which  was  then  called  Alba  Regalis.  The  for 
tifications  and  natural  defences  of  the  place  rendered 
it  well-nigh  impregnable.  It  was  held  by  a  strong 
and  determined  force  that  bravely  repelled  attacks 
and  frequently  sallied  forth  to  give  battle  to  the 

103 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

besiegers.  The  Christian  army  can  not  be  said  to 
have  made  any  progress  towards  taking  the  place 
when  John  gave  another  exhibition  of  the  fertility 
of  his  mind  and  devised  a  plan  which  led  to  the  fall 
of  the  town. 

The  young  cavalry  captain  made  frequent  cir 
cuits  of  the  walls  studying  the  fortifications  and  the 
various  points  of  attack.  He  found  that  a  direct 
assault  could  not  be  made  at  any  point  with  hope 
of  success,  save,  perhaps,  one.  Here  the  defence 
was  lax  owing  to  the  fact  that  a  morass,  which  ex 
tended  for  some  distance  from  the  wall,  seemed  to 
preclude  the  possibility  of  approach.  Testing  this 
quagmire  under  cover  of  darkness,  John  found  that 
it  was  not  so  deep  but  that  a  few  hundred  men  laden 
with  stones  and  logs  of  wood  could  in  a  short  while 
fill  in  sufficient  to  make  a  pathway  across  it.  But 
they  would  necessarily  have  to  work  by  daylight, 
and  the  next  thing  was  to  devise  a  scheme  by  which 
the  attention  of  the  garrison  could  be  diverted  from 
them  long  enough  to  allow  of  the  accomplishment 
of  the  object. 

The  bomb-shell  had  not  yet  been  devised,  but 
somewhere  in  his  extensive  reading  John  had  gath 
ered  the  idea  of  such  a  missile.  He  set  to  work 
to  make  what  he  called  a  "  fiery  dragon  "  and  con 
structed  a  sling  to  send  it  on  its  way.  At  the  first 
attempt  the  thing  worked  to  his  satisfaction.  He 
then  detailed  to  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  his  ^)lan  for 

104 


SOME  STRATAGEMS 

taking  the  city  by  stratagem.  The  Due  de  Mercceur 
having  consented  to  the  scheme — the  more  readily 
since  he  had  heard  of  John's  previous  exploits — 
preparations  for  putting  it  into  effect  were  pushed 
with  haste,  for  just  at  this  time  news  was  received 
of  a  strong  relieving  force  which  was  on  the  march 
for  Alba  Regalis. 

Fifty  bombs  were  manufactured  under  John's 
directions,  and,  together  with  the  slings,  were  con 
veyed  to  a  side  of  the  town  remote  from  that  on 
which  the  attack  was  to  be  made.  Meanwhile  the 
Earl  of  Rosworme  had  gathered  a  force  of  picked 
men  to  make  the  assault  and  five  hundred  others  with 
large  baskets  filled  with  material  to  be  dumped  into 
the  morass.  This  body  assembled  in  eager  expecta 
tion  of  the  diversion  which  the  English  captain 
promised  to  create. 

John  had  selected  one  of  the  most  crowded  quar 
ters  of  the  city  for  the  destination  of  his  "  fiery 
dragons  "  and  he  let  them  loose  in  the  market  hour 
when  the  crowd  would  be  greatest.  One  after 
another,  with  flaming  tails,  they  pursued  their  hiss 
ing  flight  over  the  ramparts  and,  as  they  struck  the 
ground,  burst,  scattering  death  on  every  side.  The 
air  was  immediately  filled  with  the  cries  of  the 
affrighted  Turks  who  fled  from  the  spot  and  the 
groans  of  those  who  lay  wounded  and  dying.  But 
by  the  time  the  stock  of  bombs  had  become  exhausted 
the  townspeople  and  garrison  were  hurrying  to  the 

'05 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

spot  from  every  direction  to  put  out  the  flames  which 
had  broken  forth  in  several  places  and  threatened  to 
sweep  the  city. 

Whilst  the  defenders  were  thus  engaged  with  the 
fire  that  spread  rapidly  in  the  strong  wind,  the  Earl 
of  Rosworme's  party  completed  their  causeway  with 
out  interruption  and  his  fighting  men  gained  within 
the  walls  and  opened  one  of  the  gates  before  they 
were  discovered.  The  besieging  army  poured  into 
the  doomed  town  and  a  fearful  carnage  ensued. 
The  Turks  fought  like  demons  and  neither  asked 
nor  received  quarter.  Hardly  a  man  of  the  garrison 
escaped.  A  last  remnant  of  five  hundred  made  a 
stand  before  the  palace  with  the  Turkish  commander 
in  their  midst.  He  counselled  them  not  to  surrender 
and  himself  determined  to  die  fighting.  His  men 
were  cut  down  one  after  another  and  he,  sorely 
wounded,  was  about  to  be  slain  by  the  infuriated 
soldiers,  when  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  rescued  him 
and  made  him  prisoner  despite  his  protests. 

Alba  Regalis,  one  of  the  most  valued  strongholds 
of  the  Turks,  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Christian 
army  but  sixty  thousand  Moslems,  determined  to 
retake  it,  were  approaching  by  rapid  marches. 


106 


VIII. 

THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 


THE  BATTLE  OF  GiRKHE — THE  Due  DE  MERCCEUR  PITS  TWENTY 
THOUSAND  CHRISTIANS  AGAINST  SIXTY  THOUSAND  TURKS — 
THE  CONFLICT  RAGES  FROM  MORN  TILL  NIGHT — MELDRITCH'S 

MEN  DO  VALIANT  SERVICE — JOHN'S  HORSE  IS  KILLED  UNDER 
HIM — HE  IS  RESCUED  BY  CuLNITZ  AND  SAVES  THE  LATTER'S 

LIFE  IN  TURN — DuPLAINE  DIES  FIGHTING  ONE  TO  TEN — 
THE  EARL'S  FEARFUL  PLIGHT — SEVEN  HUNDRED  AGAINST 

THREE    THOUSAND — "  FOR    FAITH     AND    MfiLDRITCH  !  " — THE 

EARL  is  CUT  OFF — "CULNITZ!  VAHAN!  FOLLOW  ME! 
To  THE  CHIEF,  MY  MEN  ! " — COUNT  ULRICH  TURNS  THE 
SCALES — THE  TURKS  BREAK  AND  FLEE  FROM  THE  FIELD — 
VICTORY  AND  NIGHT. 

ALBA  REGALIS  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Turks 
for  thirty  years,  and  during  that  time  had  become 
virtually  a  Moslem  city.  Turkish  mosques,  palaces 
and  market  place  had  been  constructed  in  it  and  its 
fortifications  had  been  strengthened  until  the  place 
was  well-nigh  impregnable.  The  Turks  had  come 
to  consider  Alba  Regalis  a  permanent  possession 
and  its  fall  was  a  great  blow  to  their  pride  as  well 
as  a  serious  setback  in  their  military  operations.  As 
soon  as  the  Sultan  was  informed  of  the  Due  de  Mer- 
cceur's  advance  against  the  stronghold,  he  hastily 
raised  a  force  of  sixty  thousand  men  and  sent  it  to 

107 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

the  relief,  under  Hassan  Pasha,  the  com'mander- 
in-chief  of  the  Turkish  army.  Hassan  had  pushed 
forward  with  all  possible  expedition  but,  as  we  know, 
Alba  Regalis  fell  whilst  he  was  still  a  considerable 
distance  away.  This  did  not  check  the  advance  of 
the  Turkish  general.  On  the  contrary  it  induced 
him  to  hurry  on  in  the  hope  of  arriving  before  the 
Christians  should  have  time  to  repair  the  breaches 
in  the  walls  and  other  damages  to  the  defences  which 
their  assault  must,  as  he  naturally  supposed,  have 
made.  Thanks,  however,  to  Captain  John  Smith's 
stratagem,  as  we  should  now  call  him,  the  artillery 
had  been  comparatively  little  used  in  the  reduction  of 
the  city  and  a  few  days  sufficed  to  put  it  in  its  former 
condition,  so  far  as  the  outworks  were  concerned. 

Scouts  kept  a  close  watch  on  the  Turkish  army 
and  reported  to  the  Due  that  it  was  strung  out  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  last  regiments  were  a  full 
day's  march  behind  the  vanguard.  This  fact  sug 
gested  to  Mercoeur  the  bold  expedient  of  going  out 
to  meet  the  enemy  instead  of  awaiting  him  behind 
the  walls  of  Alba  Regalis.  The  plan  was  based  on 
logical  reasoning  and  had  the  approval  of  Meldritch 
and  other  leaders.  The  Turks  would  not  expect 
such  a  move  and  would  continue  their  advance  in 
single  column  of  regiments.  The  Christians  would 
thus  have  the  advantage  of  numbers  on  their  side 
in  the  early  part  of  the  engagement  and  the  enemy 
could  hardly  bring  more  than  two  to  one  against 

1 08 


THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 

them  before  the  close  of  the  first  day.  If  advisable 
the  defenders  of  the  city  might  retire  within  the 
walls  at  nightfall.  The  force  of  Hassan  Pasha  was 
largely  composed  of  raw  levies,  undisciplined  and 
inexperienced,  who  would  necessarily  be  worn  in 
consequence  of  the  forced  marches  to  which  they 
had  been  subjected.  Furthermore,  the  Due  was  too 
keen  a  soldier  to  allow  thirty  thousand  men  to  be 
shut  up  in  a  beleaguered  town  for  months  when  their 
services  were  so  urgently  needed  elsewhere.  These 
considerations  then  prompted  him  to  a  decision  which 
proved  to  have  been  an  eminently  wise  one. 

Mercceur  had  no  idea  of  seriously  hazarding  the 
loss  of  Alba  Regalis.  When  he  issued  to  battle 
there  were  left  in  the  town  ten  thousand  men,  a 
sufficient  number  to  hold  it  for  some  months  even 
if  the  worst  befell  their  comrades.  With  his  main 
body,  twenty  thousand  strong,  the  Due  marched  out 
to  meet  the  oncoming  Turks.  The  spot  he  selected 
for  the  encounter  was  one  where  the  enemy  must 
debouche  from  a  comparatively  narrow  way  upon 
the  extensive  plains  of  Girkhe.  The  latter  expanse 
afforded  ideal  conditions  for  the  movement  of  cav 
alry;  upon  which  arm  the  general  mainly  depended 
for  success.  The  Christian  army  arrived  at  the 
battle-ground  at  the  close  of  day  and,  after  throwing 
out  a  chain  of  videttes  and  posting  strong  guards, 
passed  a  restful  night  in  bivouac. 

The  Due's  force  had  hardly  finished  its  morning 
109 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

meal  when  the  videttes  retired  before  the  van  of  the 
advancing  Turks  and  the  outposts  fell  back  in  orderly 
manner  upon  the  main  body.  The  hoarse  bray  of 
the  trumpets  called  the  soldiers  "  to  arms "  and, 
as  they  had  lain  down  in  ranks  the  night  before,  the 
regiments  were  formed  in  a  very  few  minutes.  It 
was  no  part  of  the  Due's  plan  to  contest  the  advance 
of  the  enemy  or  to  attempt  to  drive  him  back.  The 
Turkish  regiments  as  they  arrived  were  freely  per 
mitted  to  march  forward  and  deploy  upon  the  plain. 
The  Christian  army  was  massed,  and  as  each  corps 
of  the  Ottomans  lined  up  in  its  crescent  formation 
the  Due  sent  one  of  his  own  against  it.  They  were 
about  equal  in  numbers,  that  is  to  say,  each  one 
thousand  strong.  It  was  the  hope  of  the  Christian 
commander  that  in  this  way  he  should  be  able  to  rout 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  Turkish  army  before 
it  could  bring  a  very  superior  force  upon  the  field. 
The  best  of  his  troops  Mercoeur  held  back  until  the 
latter  part  of  the  day  when  the  hardest  fighting 
might  be  expected  to  occur.  Thus  John  Smith  and 
many  another  brave  fellow  was  forced  to  stand  im 
patiently  watching  his  comrades  in  action.  Twice 
during  the  forenoon,  however,  Captain  Smith  was 
permitted  to  take  out  his  troop  and  make  a  brief 
charge  for  the  purpose  of  turning  the  tide  where  a 
Christian  regiment  appeared  to  be  overmatched. 
So,  for  hours  this  strange  battle  progressed  in  a 
series  of  duels.  Every  thirty  or  forty  minutes 

no 


THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 

brought  a  fresh  Turkish  regiment  on  the  field  where 
it  was  at  once  engaged  by  one  of  the  Christian 
corps  in  an  isolated  conflict.  There  was  no  attempt 
at  military  tactics  or  combined  movements  on  the 
part  of  the  various  colonels.  Each  had  his  own 
little  battle  to  fight  with  a  Turkish  zanzack.  He 
was  instructed  to  attend  strictly  to  that  and  pay  no 
heed  to  what  might  be  going  on  around  him.  When 
he  had  beaten  and  routed  the  body  opposed  to  him, 
he  was  to  retire  and  rest  his  men  and  horses. 

It  was  a  very  ingenious  arrangement  when  you 
think  about  it.  Once  engaged  the  Turks  were 
obliged  to  come  on  as  at  first.  If  they  should  halt, 
even  for  an  hour  to  mass  a  strong  force,  the  Christian 
commander  would  overwhelm  and  annihilate  the  Mos 
lem  regiments  upon  the  field.  Despite  the  fact  that 
several  bodies  of  the  Ottomans  were  utterly  broken 
and  driven  from  the  field,  the  constant  arrival  of 
fresh  Turks  gradually  increased  their  numbers  until 
at  noon  they  had  fully  twenty  thousand  men  in 
action,  opposed  to  about  thirteen  thousand  of  the 
Due  de  Mercosur's  force.  Up  to  this  time  five 
thousand  of  the  Moslems  and  two  thousand  Chris 
tians  had  been  put  out  of  action.  The  former  were 
constantly  receiving  fresh  accessions  to  their  num 
bers,  whilst  the  regiments  of  the  latter  which  had 
been  most  actively  engaged  during  the  morning 
could  only  be  lightly  employed  thereafter. 

But  the  flower  of  Mercosur's  force  had  been  held 
in 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

in  reserve  until  this  time.  It  consisted  of  five  regi 
ments  of  splendid  cavalry — five  thousand  horsemen 
eager  for  the  fray.  The  time  had  come  to  launch 
them  against  the  enemy  in  support  of  the  now 
hardly-pressed  troops  that  had  borne  the  burden 
of  battle  thus  far.  The  commanders  and  men  knew 
what  was  expected  of  them.  They  were  prepared 
to  meet  odds  of  five  to  one  and  more  if  necessary. 
They  had  fed  and  watered  their  chargers,  they  had 
looked  to  their  buckles  and  bits.  Their  pistols  were 
loaded  and  primed  and  each  had  drained  the  flagon 
of  wine  handed  to  him  by  his  horse-boy.  They  made 
a  brave  picture  as  they  sat  their  champing  steeds  in 
glistening  armor  and  with  drawn  swords  awaiting 
the  word  to  advance.  Since  each  corps  acted  as  an 
independent  unit,  we  can  only  follow  the  fortunes  of 
that  which  bore  the  brunt  of  the  fierce  fighting  in 
the  afternoon  of  that  memorable  autumn  day. 

The  regiment  of  Meldritch  consisted  of  four  com 
panies,  commanded  respectively  by  the  following 
captains :  Duplaine,  a  Frenchman ;  Vahan  and  Cul- 
nitz,  Germans;  and  the  Englishman,  John  Smith. 
Each  of  these  performed  prodigies  of  valor  before 
the  fall  of  night  and  the  dashing  Duplaine  met  a 
soldier's  death  upon  the  field. 

The  Earl  lost  no  time  in  taking  his  impatient  men 
into  action.  Riding  in  their  front,  conspicuous  by 
his  great  height  and  the  scarlet  plumes  that  sur 
mounted  his  helmet,  he  led  them  towards  a  body  of 

112 


THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 

the  enemy  that  had  just  entered  the  plain.  Mel- 
dritch's  corps,  in  line  of  double  rank,  advanced 
at  a  trot,  breaking  into  a  hand-gallop  as  they 
approached  the  foe.  Then,  as  the  uplifted  sword  of 
the  Earl  gave  the  signal,  they  swept  forward  in  a 
mighty  charge  and  with  a  shout  crashed  through  the 
line  of  Turks,  overthrowing  horse  and  rider  in  their 
impetuous  course.  In  an  instant  the  ground  was 
strewn  with  dead  and  dying,  with  kicking  animals 
and  with  men  striving  to  get  clear  of  the  struggling 
mass.  The  victors  rode  among  them  slaying  with 
out  mercy,  whilst  the  remnant  of  the  broken  regi 
ment  fled  in  every  direction. 

When  his  men  had  reformed  and  breathed  their 
horses,  the  Earl  sent  them  at  another  regiment  with 
like  results,  and  so  again  and  again.  But  such  work 
tells  on  man  and  horse,  and  as  Meldritch's  men  tired 
the  odds  by  which  they  were  confronted  increased. 
They  no  longer  swept  through  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy  with  ease  but  had  to  cut  and  hew  their  pas 
sage.  Their  charges  broke  the  compactness  of  their 
own  lines  and  ended  in  melees  from  which  they 
emerged  in  small  bodies  with  loss  and  fatigue. 

In  one  of  these  later  encounters,  the  black  Barbary 
— his  colonel's  gift  to  Captain  Smith — suddenly 
pitched  forward  in  the  throes  of  death,  flinging  his 
rider  heavily  to  the  ground.  Our  hero's  career 
must  have  ended  there  had  not  Culnitz  spurred  to 
his  rescue  just  as  three  Turks  rode  at  him. 

8  113 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

"  Up !  Up  behind  me  in  the  saddle ! "  cried  Cul- 
nitz  generously,  as  he  reached  John's  side.  But  the 
young  Englishman  had  no  idea  of  hazarding  his  com 
rade's  life  by  such  a  proceeding.  His  sword  had 
flown  from  his  hand  as  he  fell.  He  now  snatched 
Culnitz's  battle-axe  from  the  saddle-bow  and  pre 
pared  to  help  his  rescuer  meet  the  trio  of  Turks 
who  were  now  upon  them.  One  of  these,  whose 
handsome  horse  and  fine  accoutrements  proclaimed 
him  to  be  a  person  of  distinction,  attacked  the  Ger 
man  captain  from  the  side  on  which  John  stood. 
Ignoring  the  man  on  foot,  the  Turk  swung  his  blade 
at  the  neck  of  the  mounted  officer.  Culnitz  was 
completely  engaged  with  the  other  two  assailants 
and  the  blow  must  have  severed  his  head  but,  as  the 
Turk's  arm  swept  forward,  it  met  the  battle-axe 
wielded  by  our  hero,  which  shattered  the  bone. 
The  next  instant  Smith  had  dragged  the  Turk  from 
his  horse  and  was  in  the  saddle.  The  gallant  young 
captains  now  had  little  difficulty  in  disposing  of 
the  two  Moslems  who  confronted  them  and  a  few 
others  who  attempted  to  bar  their  return  to  their 
comrades. 

The  Colonel  was  overjoyed  to  see  his  two  young 
officers  reappear  and  their  men  greeted  them  with 
wild  huzzas,  for  all  had  feared  that  they  were  cut 
off  and  lost.  Meldritch's  regiment  was  now  reduced 
to  a  scant  three  companies.  Duplaine  had  met  a 
glorious  fate  fighting  single  handed  against  ten  of 

114 


THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 

the  enemy.  His  company — that  is  what  was  left  of 
it — the  Earl  distributed  amongst  the  other  three 
and  once  more  formed  his  men  up  for  a  fresh  attack. 
They  were  fortunate  at  this  juncture  in  finding  them 
selves  near  a  small  stream  at  which  men  and  horses 
assuaged  their  consuming  thirst. 

The  hours  had  dragged  slowly  by  to  the  anxious 
Due  who,  surrounded  by  his  staff,  stood  upon  an 
eminence  surveying  the  field.  His  breast  swelled 
with  pride  at  the  many  sights  of  valor  presented  by 
the  constantly  shifting  scene.'  Never  had  comman 
der  witnessed  more  gallant  service,  but  men  are 
mortal  and  Mercoeur  knew  that  flesh  and  blood  could 
not  much  longer  endure  the  fearful  strain.  The 
Turks  had  put  full  forty  thousand  men  upon  the 
plain  since  the  day  begun  and  their  troops  were  still 
arriving  in  a  steady  stream.  Scarce  ten  thousand 
Christians  remained  fit  to  fight,  and  these  were 
already  pitted  against  some  thirty  thousand  Mos 
lems.  Anxiously  the  commander's  gaze  followed 
the  slowly  setting  sun,  and  as  Wellington  in  after 
years  longed  for  the  arrival  of  Bliicher,  so  Mercoeur 
now  prayed  for  the  fall  of  night. 

Looking  toward  the  road  over  which  the  Turkish 
troops,  like  a  huge  snake  had  poured  all  day,  a  sight 
met  the  Due's  eyes  that  caused  his  heart  to  beat  with 
apprehension.  To  his  utter  dismay  he  saw  approach 
ing  a  stately  body  of  men  on  white  chargers.  He 
quickly  recognized  them  as  the  Barukh  Regiment, 

"5 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

one  of  the  finest  in  the  army  of  the  Sultan  and  two 
thousand  strong. 

"  Now  may  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  support  Mel- 
dritch,"  cried  Mercoeur  with  emotion,  "  for  surely 
no  mortal  help  can  save  him  in  this  pass !  " 

This  deep  concern  on  the  part  of  the  general  was 
excited  by  the  fact  that  Meldritch's  regiment,  which 
we  left  reforming  for  another  onslaught,  was  nearest 
to  the  Barukhs,  who  were  evidently  extending  their 
ranks  with  the  design  of  attacking  it.  Quickly  the 
white  horsemen  advanced  and  Meldritch,  when  he 
was  apprised  of  his  danger,  found  his  corps  envel 
oped  in  a  rough  triangle,  the  base  of  it  formed  by  the 
body  of  the  enemy  he  had  been  on  the  point  of 
charging.  At  a  glance  his  soldier's  eye  recognized 
the  superiority  of  the  Barukh  cavalry  and  he  wheeled 
two  companies  about  to  face  the  graver  danger, 
whilst  to  Vahan,  with  the  third,  was  'entrusted  the 
task  of  preventing  a  rear  attack  by  the  smaller  body 
of  the  enemy. 

They  were  seven  hundred  to  three  thousand.  To 
charge  upon  their  jaded  horses  must  have  been  to 
break  themselves  and  become  engulfed  in  that  mass 
of  splendid  horsemen.  The  Earl,  therefore,  decided 
to  await  the  attack.  It  was  the  climax  of  the  fight — 
the  most  critical  moment  of  the  day.  On  the  result 
of  the  coming  conflict  depended  the  issue  of  the 
battle.  The  Earl  turned  in  his  saddle  and  addressed 
his  men. 

116 


THE  DIN  OF  BATTLE 

"  These  be  worthy  of  our  steel,"  he  cried,  pointing 
with  his  outstretched  sword  towards  the  oncoming 
Barukhs.  "  Our  commander  watches  us.  Let  every 
man  strike  for  Christ,  for  honor  and  for  life." 
"  For  Faith  and  Meldritch ! "  responded  the  men 
heartily. 

The  Turks  charged  with  courageous  fury.  Seven 
hundred  pistols  were  discharged  full  in  their  faces, 
emptying  hundreds  of  saddles.  They  recoiled  but 
came  again  almost  immediately.  Once  more  they 
received  a  volley  at  close  range  and  this  time  fell 
back  in  disorder,  their  ranks  thrown  into  confusion 
by  the  great  number  of  riderless  horses  that  ran 
wildly  amongst  them.  The  Earl  deemed  the  moment 
favorable  for  a  counter-attack. 

"  Charge ! "  he  cried  in  ringing  tones,  and 
plunged  into  the  Moslem  horde,  followed  by  his 
men. 

Thrusting  and  hacking  for  dear  life,  Meldritch's 
troopers  slowly  fought  their  way  through  the 
Barukhs.  As  they  emerged  in  little  knots  they  be 
gan  to  rally  round  the  standards  of  their  several 
leaders.  The  three  captains  were  thus  engaged  in 
collecting  the  remnants  of  their  men,  when  they  per 
ceived  that  the  Earl  was  completely  cut  off.  His 
plume,  now  no  ruddier  than  his  armor,  marked  the 
spot  where  alone,  like  a  lion  at  bay,  he  held  back  a 
circle  of  the  enemy.  The  red  rays  of  the  evening 
sun  flashed  from  his  long  blade  which,  like  a  streak 

117 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

of  fire,  swept  in  wide  strokes,  now  on  this  side  and 
anon  on  that. 

"To  the  Chief!"  shouted  John.  "Culnitz! 
Vahan !  Follow  me !  To  the  Chief,  my  men !  " 

Smith's  voice  rose  above  the  clangor  of  weapons 
as  he  spurred  into  the  dense  mass  of  Moslems,  closely 
followed  by  his  fellow-captains.  With  slashing 
blows  they  opened  a  lane  through  which  some  fifty 
of  their  men  rode  after  them.  In  a  few  minutes 
they  gained  beside  the  wearied  Earl  and  surrounded 
him  with  a  band  of  devoted  followers. 

The  situation  of  this  handful  of  heroes,  beset  by 
more  than  a  thousand  furious  enemies,  was  preca 
rious  in  the  extreme.  To  cut  their  way  out  was  im 
possible,  and  they  prepared  to  sell  their  lives  dearly 
and  die  as  becomes  gallant  soldiers.  But  Fortune 
favors  the  brave.  At  this  critical  juncture,  Count 
Ulrich,  having  routed  the  force  to  which  he  had  been 
opposed,  was  able  to  bring  his  regiment  to  the  relief 
of  Meldritch.  They  bore  down  upon  the  Barukhs 
who,  taken  in  the  rear  and  by  surprise,  broke  and  fled 
over  the  field. 

The  Turkish  trumpets  now  sounded  the  "  recall  " 
and  the  shattered  regiments  of  the  Sultan  retired 
to  where  Hassan's  banner  proclaimed  the  presence 
of  the  dispirited  commander.  The  Due  de  Mer- 
cceur's  exhausted  men  lay  down  in  their  cloaks  upon 
the  ground  which  they  had  soaked  with  the  blood 
of  ten  thousand  Turks. 

118 


IX. 

GUERILLA  TACTICS 


THE  Due  DE  MERCCEUR  DEFEATS  HASSAN  PASHA  AND  ALBA 
REGALIS  is  SECURE — MELDRITCH  CARRIES  THE  WAR  INTO 
TRANSYLVANIA — THE  ADVANCE  AGAINST  RECALL — THE 
TROOPS  ARE  CONSTANTLY  ATTACKED  ON  THE  MARCH — CAP 
TAIN  SMITH  TREATS  THE  TURKS  TO  A  SURPRISE — HE  PRO 
POSES  A  SCHEME  FOR  COUNTERACTING  THE  NIGHT  ATTACKS — 
FlVE  HUNDRED  TURKS  ARE  ENTRAPPED  AND  CUT  UP — CLEAR 
ING  THE  MOUNTAIN  ROAD  TO  RECALL — THE  ARMY  GAINS 
THE  SUMMIT  AND  ENCAMPS — THE  TURKS  ISSUE  A  CHAL 
LENGE  TO  SINGLE  COMBAT — THE  CHRISTIAN  CAPTAINS  DRAW 
LOTS  FOR  THE  HONOR  OF  REPRESENTING  THE  ARMY — "  JOHN 

SMITH,  THE  ENGLANDER,  is  OUR  CHAMPION  " — JOHN  GIVES 
PRINCE  MOYSES  PROOF  OF  HIS  SKILL  WITH  THE  LANCE. 

DESPITE  their  superior  numbers,  the  Turks  fore- 
bore  from  renewing  the  battle  on  the  day  following 
the  desperate  struggle  that  was  described  in  the  last 
chapter.  The  Christians  completely  exhausted  and 
many  of  them,  like  Captain  Smith,  sorely  wounded, 
were  only  too  glad  of  the  respite.  Thus  the  con 
tending  armies  lay  in  sight  of  each  other  for  days 
without  action  on  either  side.  At  length  the  Due 
de  Mercceur  saw  a  favorable  opportunity  for  attack 
ing  and  did  so  with  such  effect  that  Hassan  Pasha, 
after  losing  six  thousand  men  in  this  later  battle, 
retired  from  the  field  and  retreated  to  Buda. 

119 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

Relieved  of  present  anxiety  on  the  score  of  Alba 
Regalis,  Mercceur  divided  his  army  into  three  bodies 
and  despatched  them  in  different  directions.  One 
corps,  under  the  command  of  the  Earl  of  Meldritch, 
was  assigned  to  service  in  Transylvania.  Our  hero 
recovered  sufficiently  to  accompany  his  regiment 
which  as  we  know  could  have  ill-spared  so  good  a 
man.  The  winter  had  set  in  before  the  command 
arrived  at  its  destination,  and  the  Earl  went  into 
camp  to  recruit  his  depleted  regiments  and  prepare 
for  the  ensuing  campaign.  The  regiment  of  Mel 
dritch,  which  had  recently  added  so  greatly  to  its 
renown,  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  all  the  picked 
men  it  needed  and  in  a  few  weeks  had  regained  its 
full  strength. 

With  the  opening  of  spring,  Count  Meldritch  led 
his  army  into  the  wildest  portion  of  Transylvania 
and  began  a  vigorous  campaign.  The  object  was  to 
clear  the  Turks  off  the  plains  and  to  take  their  chief 
stronghold,  Regall,  in  the  mountains  of  Zarham. 
The  entire  country  was  of  the  most  rugged  character 
and  it  had  been  for  years  the  resort  of  Turks,  Tartars 
and  bandits  of  all  nations.  From  this  wild  retreat 
they  issued  at  favorable  intervals  and  overran  the 
neighboring  valleys,  destroying  villages  and  carry 
ing  off  their  inhabitants  into  slavery. 

The  fighting  which  Captain  Smith  and  his  compan 
ions  in  arms  now  experienced  was  the  most  difficult 
known  to  warfare.  It  called  for  courage  and 

120 


GUERILLA  TACTICS 

patience,  strength  and  quick-wittedness  in  an  extra 
ordinary  degree.  Though  he  could  not  have  sus 
pected  it  at  the  time,  the  training  our  hero  received 
in  this  campaign  was  the  best  possible  to  fit  him  for 
success  in  his  future  career  among  the  Indians  of 
North  America,  and  many  a  lesson  that  he  learned 
in  Transylvania  was  turned  to  good  account  in 
Virginia. 

During  their  march  through  the  province  of  Zar- 
ham,  the  army  of  Meldritch  never  encountered  troops 
in  mass  or  in  open  combat,  but  were  surrounded  day 
and  night  by  a  foe  invisible  for  the  most  part  and 
appearing,  when  he  did,  in  the  most  unexpected 
places.  The  i  road  was  through  a  country  that 
afforded  ample  cover  and  ambuscades  were  of  fre 
quent  occurrence.  From  the  shelter  of  a  wood  or 
from  behind  a  hill,  a  band  of  horsemen  would  dart 
upon  the  column  with  the  swoop  of  a  hawk,  spear 
the  nearest  foot  soldiers,  and  disappear  in  the  twink 
ling  of  an  eye.  These  attacks  were  usually  made 
in  the  uncertain  light  of  the  evening,  when  the  Chris 
tians  could  not  effectively  use  their  pistols.  Some 
half  a  dozen  such  onslaughts  had  been  made  with 
complete  success  when  it  occurred  to  Captain  Smith 
that  the  dusk  which  favored  the  attack  might  be 
made  an  aid  in  repelling  it.  His  plan  was  suggested 
to  the  commander  and  with  his  approval  was  put 
into  effect.  It  was  ordered  that  on  the  following 
day  the  column  should  march  with  two  ranks  of 

121 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

men-at-arms  on  either  flank,  concealing  a  number  of 
horsemen  on  foot  leading  their  chargers. 

As  the  light  began  to  fail  the  Christian  army 
approached  a  point  where  their  progress  would  take 
them  between  a  rocky  eminence  and  a  thick  coppice. 
It  was  just  such  a  place  as  the  guerillas  would  choose 
for  an  ambush  and  every  one  was  on  the  lookout  for 
the  expected  attack.  They  were  not  long  in  sus 
pense.  As  they  passed  the  two  natural  hiding  places, 
Turks  dashed  out  on  either  side  and  charged  upon 
the  Christians  with  a  shout.  But  before  they  could 
reach  their  intended  victims,  the  concealed  horse 
men  had  leapt  into  the  saddle  and  riding  out  be 
tween  the  files  of  foot  soldiers  charged  the  oncoming 
enemy  at  full  speed.  The  crash  as  they  came  to 
gether  was  terrific  and  the  lighter  Arab  horses  of 
the  Turks  were  bowled  over  like  skittles  by  the 
heavy  chargers  of  Meldritch's  men.  The  surprised 
Turks  were  readily  slain  as  they  lay  upon  the  ground 
or  turned  to  flee.  Very  few  escaped,  whilst  the 
Christians  returned  to  their  ranks  without  the  loss 
of  a  man.  After  this  decisive  turning  of  the  tables 
upon  them,  the  Ottomans  contented  themselves  with 
picking  off  stragglers  and  casting  spears  from  a 
tolerably  safe  distance. 

More  trying,  however,  than  the  ambuscades  were 
the  night  attacks,  for  they  not  only  occasioned 
serious  loss  of  life,  but,  by  robbing  the  troops  of 
much  needed  rest  and  keeping  their  nerves  upon  the 

122 


GUERILLA  TACTICS 

rack,  threatened  the  demoralization  of  the  entire 
army.  Night  after  night  the  Turks  rushed  the 
camp,  cutting  the  tent  ropes  and  stabbing  the  strug 
gling  soldiers  under  the  canvas.  The  Earl  of  Mel- 
dritch  was  deeply  concerned  about  these  night 
attacks.  He  knew  that  unless  they  were  checked 
his  army  could  never  reach  the  passes  of  Regall, 
much  less  effect  the  difficult  task  of  taking  the  city. 
The  general  and  his  leading  officers  had  several  con 
sultations  on  the  subject  but  without  arriving  at  a 
satisfactory  conclusion.  One-half  of  the  force  might 
have  been  employed  to  guard  the  other  whilst  it 
slept,  but  the  day's  march  was  so  arduous  that  by 
nightfall  few  of  the  men  were  fit  to  stand. 

In  this  dilemma,  the  young  Englishman,  who  had 
already  done  such  good  service  for  the  army,  came 
to  the  relief  of  his  general  with  one  of  those  practical 
schemes  which  he  seemed  to  be  ever  ready  to  devise 
in  an  emergency.  Following  Captain  Smith's  sug 
gestion,  the  Earl  ordered  that  on  the  following  night 
the  camp  should  be  pitched  in  a  spot  that  would 
invite  an  attack  by  the  enemy.  The  tents  were  to  be 
erected  as  usual  but  the  three  front  rows  were  to  be 
empty.  Behind  these  were  firmly-stretched  ropes 
at  a  height  of  about  two  feet  from  the  ground  and 
extending  right  across  the  camp.  Beyond  the  ropes 
•was  left  a  clear  space  of  twenty  yards  and  along 
the  farther  side  of  this  was  drawn  up,  after  dark, 
a  body  of  one  thousand  picked  men. 

123 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

The  lights  of  the  camp  were  out  and  the  army 
was  apparently  sunk  in  slumber,  when  a  large  force 
of  Turks  galloped  in  among  the  tents  and  charged 
forward  with  their  battle-cry  of  "  Allah !  Allah  ud 
Din!"  (God  and  the  Faith!)  They  expected  an 
easy  slaughter  and  escape  with  little  loss  but  this 
time  things  were  to  fall  out  differently.  The  leading 
ranks  of  the  Turks  were  in  full  career  when  they 
came  upon  the  hidden  ropes,  and  as  their  horses 
struck  them  they  pitched  forward  upon  their  heads, 
throwing  their  riders  at  the  very  feet  of  the  Chris 
tians  waiting  with  sword  in  hand  to  dispatch  them. 
Rank  after  rank  of  the  Turks  rode  into  the  trap  and 
fell  atop  of  one  another  in  a  shrieking,  struggling 
mass.  Meanwhile  Meldritch's  men-at-arms  stabbed 
and  hewed  with  might  and  main,  slaughtering  their 
enemies  with  a  fury  excited  by  the  recollection  of 
their  nameless  cruelties.  By  the  time  the  less  ad 
vanced  of  the  Turkish  horsemen,  realizing  that  they 
were  entrapped,  had  turned  about,  they  found  them 
selves  face  to  face  with  a  cordon  of  Meldritch's 
cavalry  which  completely  cut  off  their  retreat.  In 
the  end  the  entire  body,  numbering  about  five  hun 
dred,  was  slain.  In  those  days  prisoners  were  sel 
dom  taken  in  wars  with  infidels,  and  it  was  not 
often  that  the  fanatical  Turks  would  ask  quarter  of 
the  unbeliever. 

After  this  affair  the  march  was  resumed  with  very 
little  interference  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  until  the 

124 


GUERILLA  TACTICS 

mountains  of  Zarham  were  reached.  Here  began 
the  most  difficult  part  of  the  military  operation.  Re- 
gall  was  situated  in  a  small  table-land  which  formed 
the  crest  of  an  isolated  mountain.  It  was  approach 
able  only  on  one  side  and  there  the  ascent  must  be 
made  by  a  rough  and  narrow  path.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  the  Turks  deemed  Regall  impregnable  and  en 
trusted  their  women  and  their  treasures  to  the  secur 
ity  of  its  position.  The  city  had  never  been  taken 
and  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  would  have  fallen  to  a 
less  determined  and  able  body  of  men  than  the 
veterans  under  Meldritch. 

A  picked  force  was  chosen  to  form  the  advance 
guard  and  John,  in  consideration  of  his  recent  ser 
vices,  was  permitted  to  take  his  place  in  it.  The 
work  of  this  body  was  to  clear  and  hold  the  road  up 
the  mountain  which  was  defended  by  the  Turks  with 
the  utmost  obstinacy.  Every  foot  of  the  way  was 
contested  and  the  advance  guard  lost  a  large  propor 
tion  of  its  number,  but  at  last  it  gained  the  top.  The 
main  body  of  the  army  and  the  big  guns  then  made 
the  ascent.  When,  after  the  weary  weeks  of  fighting 
and  marching,  Meldritch's  division  camped  in  sight 
of  the  gates  of  Regall  it  had  dwindled  to  fewer  than 
eight  thousand  men. 

The  city  was  garrisoned  by  twenty  thousand 
Turks  and  had  an  ample  supply  of  provisions. 
Under  these  conditions  the  Earl  entertained  no 
thought  of  attacking  it  but  wisely  contented  himself 

125 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

with  entrenching  his  position  and  repelling  the  fre 
quent  sorties  of  the  besieged.  In  a  few  days/  Prince 
Moyses  arrived  with  a  reinforcement  of  nine  thou 
sand  men  and  took  over  the  chief  command.  The 
Christian  army  now  proceeded  to  construct 
approaches  to  the  city  and  to  mount  their  guns  in 
commanding  positions. 

This  work  of  preparation,  which  was  performed 
with  careful  deliberation,  consumed  several  weeks, 
and  the  delay  tended  to  encourage  the  garrison. 
They  foolishly  attributed  it  to  timidity  and  began  to 
display  contempt  for  the  beleaguering  army.  They 
paraded  upon  the  ramparts  effigies  of  Christians 
hanging  from  gallows  and  shouted  derisive  messages 
to  the  besiegers.  At  length  this  over-confidence  of 
the  Turks  took  a  form  that  afforded  the  besiegers  a 
chance  to  prove  that  they  were  still  awake  and 
prepared  for  action. 

One  day  a  messenger  from  the  city  was  admitted 
to  the  presence  of  Prince  Moyses  under  a  flag  of 
truce.  He  was  the  bearer  of  a  lengthy  document 
couched  in  pompous  language  which,  after  reproach 
ing  the  Christians  for  the  lack  of  exercise  that  was 
making  them  fat  and  timid,  expressed  a  fear  that 
they  would  depart  from  the  city  without  affording 
any  pastime  to  the  ladies  of  it.  That  this  might  not 
be,  Tur  Pasha,  a  Turkish  general,  challenged  to 
single  combat  any  champion  whom  the  Christian 
army  might  put  forward.  The  combat  was  to  be 

126 


GUERILLA  TACTICS 

fought  after  the  fashion  of  knightly  times,  with 
which  the  Turks  had  become  familiar  during  the 
Crusades,  and  the  head  of  the  vanquished,  together 
with  everything  brought  into  the  field  by  him,  should 
become  the  property  of  the  victor. 

The  challenge  was  received  with  delight  in  the 
Christian  army  and  as  soon  as  it  became  known 
scores  of  captains  pressed  forward  for  the  privilege 
of  accepting  it.  In  order  to  avoid  jealousy  and  dis 
content  by  singling  one  out  of  so  many  brave  men, 
the  commander  determined  to  decide  the  question 
by  casting  lots.  Young  John  Smith  was  among 
the  most  eager  candidates  for  the  honor  of  repre 
senting  the  army  and  his  name  and  those  of  the 
others  were  written  upon  scraps  of  paper  and  shaken 
up  in  a  helmet.  It  was  a  breathless  moment  when 
Prince  Moyses  thrust  his  hand  into  the  casque  and 
drew  forth  the  billet  upon  which  his  fingers  closed. 

"John  Smith,  the  Englander,  is  our  champion," 
he  announced  to  the  throng,  with  a  shade  of  dis 
appointment  in  his  voice.  He  had  hoped  that  the 
honor  might  fall  to  one  of  his  own  countrymen  and, 
although  Count  Meldritch  had  spoken  with  warmth 
of  John's  courage  and  prowess,  the  Prince  felt  doubt 
ful  of  the  ability  of  a  mere  stripling  to  defeat  an 
experienced  warrior. 

As  John  was  about  to  go  to  his  tent,  his  heart 
full  of  joy  at  the  wonderful  good  fortune  that  had 
befallen  him,  Prince  Moyses  beckoned  him  to  his 

127 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

side.  It  was  in  the  mind  of  the  general  to  ask  Smith 
to  waive  his  right  in  favor  of  some  older  and  better 
tried  captain,  but  the  first  glance  at  the  young  man's 
eager  face  convinced  his  commander  that  it  would 
be  useless  to  pursue  the  purpose.  Instead  he  in 
quired  whether  Smith's  horse  and  equipment  were 
all  that  he  could  desire  and  what  weapons  he  would 
choose,  having  as  the  challenged  the  right  of 
selection.  John  replied  that  his  horse  had  proved 
itself  a  trusty  beast  in  many  a  sharp  skirmish  since 
the  battle  of  Girkhe  and  for  the  weapon,  he  would 
name  the  lance  in  the  handling  of  which  he  feared 
not  to  pit  himself  against  any  mortal  man. 

As  he  made  this  truthful  but,  nevertheless,  some 
what  boastful  statement,  John  fancied  that  he  de 
tected  a  faint  smile  flickering  about  the  corners  of 
the  Prince's  mouth.  He  flushed  at  the  thought  that 
his  general  might  be  inwardly  laughing  at  his  preten 
sions,  and  said,  with  some  show  of  heat : 

"  May  it  please  your  Highness  to  give  me  leave 
to  prove  my  quality  with  the  lance  ?  " 

The  Prince  gravely  assented  to  the  proposal  and  a 
soldier  was  dispatched  to  fetch  the  young  captain's 
horse  and  tilting  lance.  In  the  few  minutes  that 
elapsed  before  his  return,  our  hero's  thoughts  strayed 
to  the  period  of  his  hermitage  in  the  Lincolnshire 
forest  and  he  congratulated  himself  on  the  time  then 
spent  in  the  practice  of  a  weapon  that  was  fast 
falling  into  disuse. 

128 


GUERILLA  TACTICS 

Hard  by  the  commander's  tent  stood  a  convenient 
tree.  From  one  of  its  branches  a  soldier  was  in 
structed  to  suspend  an  iron  ring,  no  bigger  than  a 
dollar  piece,  at  the  height  of  a  mounted  man's  head. 
When  this  had  been  done,  John,  who  was  already 
mounted,  took  his  lance  from  the  attendant  soldier 
and  placing  it  in  rest,  bore  down  upon  the  mark  at 
full  tilt.  When  he  wheeled  round  and  saluted  Prince 
Moyses,  the  ring  was  upon  the  point  of  his  lance. 

"  Bravissimo!  "  cried  the  Prince  with  a  smile  of 
satisfaction.  "  I  had  not  thought  to  see  that  feat 
performed  in  this  day,"  he  added  as  he  turned  on  his 
heel  and  entered  the  tent. 


129 


X. 

THE  THREE  TURKS 


CAPTAIN  SMITH  MEETS  THE  TURKISH  CHAMPION  IN  A  DUEL 
WITH  LANCES — THE  GORGEOUS  PASHA  MAKES  A  BRAVE 
APPEARANCE  BUT  LOSES  HIS  LIFE  AT  THE  FIRST  ENCOUNTER — 
SMITH  PRESENTS  PRINCE  MOYSES  WITH  A  GRIZZLY  TROPHY 
— THE  SLAIN  TURK'S  BOSOM  FRIEND  CHALLENGES  SMITH — 
THE  COMBATANTS'  LANCES  ARE  SHATTERED  TO  SPLINTERS — 
THEY  CONTINUE  THE  FIGHT  WITH  PISTOLS  AND  THE 
ENGLISHMAN  is  HIT — THE  GALLANT  WAR-HORSE  SAVES  THE 
ISSUE — GRUALGO  BITES  THE  DUST — SMITH  SENDS  A  CHAL 
LENGE  INTO  RECALL — MEETS  BONI  MULGRO  AND  FOR  THE 

THIRD  TIME   IS  VICTOR — HE   IS    HONORED   WITH   A   PAGEANT — 

RECEIVES   RICH    PRESENTS,   PROMOTION   AND   A   PATENT  OF 
NOBILITY. 

A  TRUCE  having  been  declared  for  the  day  of  the 
combat,  the  opposing  armies  approached  each  other 
without  restraint  but  their  soldiery  did  not  mingle. 
The  Christians  were  drawn  up,  a  short  distance  from 
the  city,  in  battle  array  with  a  grand  display  of 
banners,  trophies  and  the  various  insignia  of 
heraldry.  The  Moslems  assembled  in  an  irregular 
mass  beneath  the  gray  walls  of  the  beleaguered  town, 
whilst  their  women,  attended  by  slaves,  occupied 
points  of  vantage  along  the  ramparts. 

Between  the  bodies  of  eager  spectators  lay  a 
130 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

stretch  of  sward,  which  had  been  enclosed  in  a 
barricade  after  the  fashion  of  the  lists  in  the  old-time 
tournaments.  Long  before  the  hour  set  for  the 
contest  the  troops  had  assembled  on  either  side.  In 
both  armies  the  keenest  interest  in  the  affair  pre 
vailed  and  both  realized  that  it  was  something  more 
than  a  duel  to  the  death,  for  the  result  would  surely 
encourage  the  fighting  men  of  one  party  as  much  as 
it  would  depress  those  of  the  other.  In  those  days 
of  superstition,  men  were  ever  ready  to  find  an 
augury  in  every  important  event,  and  the  army  to 
whom  the  victory  should  fall  would  accept  it  as  a 
promise  of  success  in  the  final  issue. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  greater  degree  of 
confidence  was  enjoyed  by  the  Turks.  Their  cham 
pion  was  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life  and  a  soldier  of 
approved  valor  and  skill  in  arms.  He  had  never 
been  defeated  in  single  combat,  although  twice  pitted 
against  Germans  of  renown.  The  Christians,  on  the 
other  hand,  could  not  shake  off  the  doubt  and  appre 
hension  which  they  shared  with  their  leader  when 
the  lot  fell  to  the  young  Briton.  The  army  had  long 
since  learned  to  respect  his  courage  and  fighting 
qualities  in  battle,  and  of  his  quick-wittedness  they 
had  received  ample  proof  on  the  march  to  Regall. 
But  none  of  them  had  any  evidence  of  his  ability  to 
yield  the  lance,  a  weapon  that  demanded  years  of 
practice  before  a  man  might  become  expert  with  it. 
Thus  it  happened  that  the  Germans,  of  whom  the 

131 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

» 

army  was  mostly  composed,  stood  grim,  silent  and 
anxious,  whilst  the  swarthy  Ottomans  gave  vent  to 
their  elation  in  song  and  jest. 

The  combatants  were  to  meet  when  the  sun  should 
be  precisely  in  mid-heaven  so  that  neither  might  be 
at  the  disadvantage  of  having  its  rays  in  his  eyes. 
The  rules  required  the  challenger  to  be  the  first  in 
the  field  and  in  due  time  Tur  Pasha,  heralded  by  the 
sounds  of  hautboys,  passed  through  the  gates  of  the 
city  and  slowly  made  his  way  into  the  lists.  His 
appearance  elicited  enthusiastic  shouts  from  his 
countrymen  and  even  forced  ejaculations  of  admira 
tion  from  the  ranks  of  their  enemies. 

The  Turkish  champion  presented  a  brave  figure. 
His  proud  bearing  and  graceful  carriage  in  the 
saddle  were  enhanced  by  the  stately  action  of  the 
beautiful  white  Arab  steed  which  he  rode.  He  was 
clad  in  a  splendid  suit  of  burnished  steel  armor, 
richly  inlaid  with  arabesque  figures  in  gold.  Upon 
his  shoulders  were  fixed  a  pair  of  large  wings  made 
from  eagles'  feathers  set  in  a  frame  of  silver  and 
garnished  with  gold  and  precious  stones.  He  was 
attended  by  three  Janizaries,  one  going  before  and 
bearing  his  lance,  the  others  walking  on  either  side 
and  leading  his  horse  to  the  station  assigned  him. 

No  sooner  had  Tur  Pasha  taken  up  position  at  his 
end  of  the  lists,  than  a  flourish  of  trumpets  an 
nounced  the  appearance  of  John  Smith.  The  cham 
pion  of  the  Christians  presented  an  aspect  as  simple 

132 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

as  his  name  and  no  less  sturdy.  His  chestnut  horse 
was  a  big,  strong  Norman,  of  the  breed  far-famed 
for  service  in  battle.  His  armor  was  of  plain  steel 
and  bore  upon  its  surface  many  a  dent  in  eloquent 
witness  of  hard  knocks.  The  only  touch  of  finery 
about  the  Englishman  was  the  plume  of  black  feath 
ers  which  surmounted  his  helmet.  He  came  upon 
the  field  attended  by  one  page  carrying  his  lance. 

After  Captain  Smith  had  halted  at  his  post,  the 
two  champions  sat  like  statues  facing  each  other  for 
a  few  minutes,  affording  the  spectators  opportunity 
to  compare  their  points.  At  a  signal  blast  from  the 
trumpet,  the  antagonists  rode  forward  slowly  and 
met  midway  in  the  course.  Saluting  courteously, 
they  passed  each  other,  wheeled  about  and  returned 
to  their  respective  stations. 

A  prolonged  note  from  the  trumpet  warned  the 
combatants  to  let  down  their  vizors  and  set  their 
lances  in  rest.  The  next  gave  the  signal  for  the 
onset,  and  before  it  had  died  away  each  horseman 
had  sprung  forward  urging  his  charger  to  its  utmost 
speed.  As  soon  as  he  felt  that  his  horse  was  in  full 
career,  Smith  leant  forward,  slackening  the  bridle 
and  grasping  the  pommel  of  the  saddle  with  his  left 
hand  to  steady  himself.  His  lance  was  couched  at  a 
level  with  his  adversary's  breast  and  his  gaze  was 
steadily  fixed  on  the  slit  in  the  vizor  through  which 
the  wearer  looked. 

Nearer  and  nearer  approached  the  onrushing 
133 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

horsemen.  A  few  more  strides,  two  brief  seconds 
and  they  must  meet  in  the  shock.  John  can  at  last 
discern  the  glistening  eyes  of  the  Turk  and  in  that 
instant  he  raises  the  point  of  his  lance  toward  the 
other's  face.  The  sudden  movement  disconcerts  the 
Turkish  champion.  Involuntarily  he  shifts  his  aim 
and  his  weapon  passes  harmlessly  over  the  English 
man's  shoulder  at  the  moment  that  our  hero's  lance 
enters  the  eye  of  Tur  Pasha  and  penetrates  his  brain. 
He  fell  from  his  horse  and  Smith  leapt  to  the  ground 
and  unbuckled  his  helmet.  A  glance  sufficed  to 
show  that  the  Turk  was  dead  and  with  a  stroke  of 
his  sword  John  severed  the  head  from  the  body. 

Whilst  the  pagans  in  mournful  procession  carried 
the  headless  trunk  of  their  recent  champion  into 
Regall,  Smith  was  triumphantly  escorted  back  to 
the  camp  of  the  besiegers.  He  ordered  the  head  of 
Tur  Pasha  to  be  borne  to  the  quarters  of  Prince 
Moyses,  who  was  pleased  to  accept  the  grizzly 
trophy.  The  spoils  of  victory  were  not  unacceptable 
to  John,  but  he  had  no  desire  to  trick  himself  out 
in  the  fancy  armor  with  its  trimmings,  and  these 
he  sold  for  a  good  round  sum.  The  horse,  however, 
he  was  glad  to  keep,  for  he  had  long  wished  for 
an  extra  mount  for  light  service,  but  heretofore  his 
slender  means  had  denied  him  that  advantage.  In 
the  wars  of  the  time,  captains  who  could  afford  to 
do  so  kept  two  or  more  horses  during  a  campaign, 
one  to  carry  them  on  the  march  and  another  to  ride 

134 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

in  battle,  for  a  man  in  armor  was  no  light  burden, 
and  a  beast  that  had  borne  its  master  ten  or  twelve 
miles  would  not  be  fit  at  the  end  of  the  journey  for 
great  'exertion,  although  the  life  of  its  owner  might 
depend  upon  its  rendering  spirited  service.  Captain 
Smith  now  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he 
was  one  of  the  best  mounted  men  in  the  army,  for 
the  Arab  was  a  marvel  of  speed  and  agility  and  the 
Norman  had  been  thoroughly  trained  by  himself 
and  was  a  perfect  battle-horse. 

The  chief  mourner  in  Regall  was  one  Grualgo,  a 
fierce  warrior,  who  had  been  the  bosom  friend  of  the 
slain  pasha.  When  the  funeral  rites  had  been  per 
formed  after  the  Muhammadan  custom,  Grualgo  sent 
a  message  to  Captain  John  Smith  proposing  to  re 
deem  his  friend's  head  at  the  risk  of  his  own.  He 
also  offered  to  pledge  his  horse,  arms  and  accoutre 
ments  on  the  issue.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say 
that  the  challenge  was  accepted  with  .alacrity. 
Flushed  with  his  recent  victory  and  more  than  ever 
confident  in  his  skill,  our  champion  was  delighted 
at  this  early  chance  for  another  display  of  his 
prowess.  The  consent  of  the  general  was  readily 
obtained.  Prince  Moyses  was  greatly  pleased  at 
the  cheering  effect  Smith's  success  had  worked  upon 
the  troops  and  he  was  no  longer  doubtful  of  the 
Briton's  ability  to  uphold  the  honor  of  the  Christian 
army.  The  preparations  were  made  as  before,  and 
the  next  day  was  appointed  for  the  combat. 

i3S 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

Once  more  the  walls  were  lined  with  the  fair 
dames  of  Regall  and  in  their  shadow  assembled  the 
garrison,  more  subdued  than  on  the  former  occasion 
but  buoyed  by  hopes  of  better  fortune.  The  Chris 
tians,  on  their  part,  lined  up,  exultant  and  strong 
in  the  expectation  of  another  victory  for  their 
champion. 

Grualgo  entered  the  lists  almost  as  splendidly 
mounted  and  equipped  as  the  pasha  had  been.  Cap 
tain  Smith  wore  the  same  plain  but  serviceable  suit 
of  armor  and  rode  his  trusty  Norman  charger.  He 
had  again  exercised  his  right  as  the  challenged  to 
name  the  lance  as  the  principal  weapon  of  the 
combat. 

At  the  trumpet  signal,  the  combatants  spurred 
forward  at  full  speed,  each  with  his  weapon  well 
and  firmly  aimed  at  his  opponent's  breast.  They 
met  in  mid-career  with  a  crash  that  resounded  over 
the  field.  The  lances  flew  into  pieces.  The  horses 
fell  back  upon  their  haunches.  Both  riders  reeled 
under  the  shock  but  each  contrived  to  keep  his  seat. 
Casting  aside  the  splintered  spears,  they  drew  their 
pistols  from  the  saddle  pockets.  Smith  was  the  first 
to  fire,  but  at  the  instant  of  the  discharge  the  Turk's 
horse  swerved  and  the  bullet  hummed  harmlessly 
by  his  master's  head.  Grualgo  had  reserved  his  shot 
and  now  took  careful  aim.  The  Norman,  in  re 
sponse  to  the  pressure  of  his  rider's  legs,  was  gath 
ering  himself  for  a  spring  out  of  the  line  of  fire 

136 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

when  the  report  of  the  Turk's  pistol  rang  out.  The 
ball  struck  John's  headpiece  fair  in  the  centre  of  the 
forehead  but  failed  to  penetrate  the  steel.  Our  hero 
was  stunned  and  sight  suddenly  forsook  him.  The 
bridle  dropped  from  his  nerveless  fingers  and  he 
swayed  in  his  seat.  He  gave  himself  up  for  lost  as 
he  felt  his  senses  deserting  him.  Then  came  the 
thought  that  he  was  the  champion  of  the  Christian 
army,  that  they  were  watching  him,  depending  upon 
him  to  secure  victory  for  them.  Exerting  all  the 
will  at  his  command,  he  set  his  teeth  together  and 
fought  back  the  inclination  to  swoon. 

Grualgo  seeing  his  enemy  at  his  mercy,  smiled 
with  grim  satisfaction  as  he  drew  his  second  pistol, 
intending  to  dispatch  the  Christian  youth  with  delib 
erate  and  sure  aim.  But  the  trusty  Norman  had  not 
been  trained  to  battle  for  nothing.  The  loose  seat 
in  the  saddle  and  the  relaxed  grip  of  the  bridle  told 
him  that  his  master  was  in  distress  and  depended 
upon  him  to  save  his  life.  With  quick  but  easy 
action,  so  as  not  to  unseat  the  rider,  the  intelligent 
beast  strode  out  of  range.  The  Turk  wheeled  and 
galloped  after  him.  His  was  the  swifter  steed  and 
he  had  no  difficulty  in  overtaking  Smith's  charger, 
but  each  time  as  he  levelled  his  weapon  to  fire,  the 
Norman  darted  away  at  an  angle.  In  this  manner 
the  gallant  animal  contrived  to  prolong  the  combat 
for  many  minutes.  Meanwhile  Smith's  senses  and 
his  strength  were  fast  reviving.  It  gladdened  the 

137 


THE  SOLDIER  OE  FORTUNE 

noble  steed  to  feel  the  returning  firmness  of  seat 
and  grasp  of  the  bridle,  and  his  master,  as  his  sight 
cleared,  began  to  lend  his  guidance  to  the  clever 
tactics  of  the  animal. 

When  Captain  Smith  fully  realized  the  situation, 
he  made  up  his  mind  that  success  could  be  secured 
only  by  bold  and  daring  action.  In  his  weakened 
state  he  could  not  hope  to  overcome  the  Turk  in 
a  prolonged  fight.  He  must  rely  upon  surprising 
the  other  and  bringing  the  affair  to  an  issue  by  a 
sudden  attack.  Grualgo  would  not  risk  his  last 
shot  until  he  could  make  sure  of  his  aim.  He  prob 
ably  believed  our  hero  to  be  sorely  wounded  and  had 
no  thought  of  his  reviving  or  resuming  the  offensive. 

In  one  of  his  horse's  evasive  rushes,  Smith  bent 
forward  upon  the  animal's  neck  as  though  overcome 
by  sudden  pain,  but  the  movement  was  made  to 
enable  him  to  stealthily  draw  his  loaded  pistol  from 
the  holster.  Holding  it  concealed  behind  the  high 
pommel  of  his  saddle,  he  braced  his  nerves  for  the 
final  effort.  Once  more  Grualgo  approached  his  foe 
but  this  time,  instead  of  allowing  his  horse  to  spring 
aside,  John  urged  him  forward,  straight  at  the 
astonished  Turk.  Before  the  latter  could  recover 
his  presence  of  mind  sufficiently  to  use  his  weapon, 
the  Englishman's  pistol  was  discharged  full  in  his 
face,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground  in  a  dying  state. 
Smith  dismounted  and  gave  the  Turk  his  coup  de 
grace,  or  finishing  stroke,  and  then  cut  off  his  head. 

138 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

This  proceeding  must  strike  us  as  being  cold 
blooded  and  merciless,  but  it  was  strictly  in  accord 
ance  with  the  terms  of  the  combat  and  the  character 
of  the  age  in  which  our  hero  lived.  Our  forefathers 
of  the  seventeenth  century  were  as  rough  as  they 
were  brave.  They  lived  amid  scenes  of  strife  and 
bloodshed,  and  men  who  hazarded  their  own  lives 
daily  naturally  held  those  of  their  enemies  cheap. 

This  second  defeat  was  a  severe  blow  to  the 
defenders  of  Regall.  Their  two  foremost  champions 
had  been  vanquished  and  by  a  beardless  boy,  for 
Captain  Smith  at  this  time  had  barely  passed  his 
twenty-first  year.  There  were  no  more  challenges 
from  the  disheartened  garrison.  They  lost  all  desire 
to  afford  pastime  for  the  ladies  and  they  ceased  to 
find  the  Christians  subjects  for  contemptuous  jests 
as  they  had  done  in  the  early  days  of  the  siege. 
Their  sallies  were  now  of  rare  occurrence  and  were 
easily  repelled,  so  that  the  work  of  preparation  for 
the  final  assault  upon  the  city  went  forward  with 
little  interruption. 

Our  hero,  in  whom  love  of  action  was  second 
nature,  chafed  sorely  under  the  slow  and  tedious 
engineering  operations.  At  length  he  sought  and 
obtained  permission  from  Prince  Moyses  to  send  a 
challenge  into  the  city.  This  message  was  couched 
in  the  most  courteous  terms  and  was  addressed  to 
the  ladies  of  Regall,  our  hero  shrewdly  suspecting 
that  in  this  way  he  would  more  quickly  touch  the 

139 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

honor  of  the  men.  Captain  John  Smith  begged  to 
assure  the  ladies  of  Regall  that  he  was  not  so  enam 
ored  of  the  heads  of  their  servants,  but  that  he  was 
ready  to  restore  them  upon  proper  terms.  He  urged 
the  ladies  to  send  forth  a  champion  who  would  risk 
his  head  in  the  effort  to  regain  those  of  the  van 
quished  Turks.  Captain  Smith  concluded  by  ex 
pressing  his  willingness  that  his  own  head  should 
accompany  the  others  in  case  the  champion  of  the 
ladies  proved  the  victor  in  the  proposed  combat. 
In  due  time  an  acceptance  of  this  challenge  was 
received  from  one  Boni  Mulgro,  and  a  day  was  set 
for  the  trial  of  arms. 

The  conditions  of  this  third  duel  were  similar  to 
those  that  governed  the  two  preceding  combats,  with 
the  exception  of  one  important  particular.  John 
Smith,  being  the  challenger  on  this  occasion,  the 
choice  of  weapons  rested  with  his  adversary.  Mul 
gro  had  no  stomach  for  a  contest  with  the  lance,  of 
which  Smith  had  proved  himself  a  master.  He 
chose  to  fight  with  the  pistol,  battle  axe  and  falchion. 
In  the  use  of  these  weapons,  and  especially  the  battle 
axe,  he  was  expert.  This  wise  decision  of  the  Turk 
came  near  to  undoing  our  hero  as  the  sequel  will 
show. 

At  the  signal  of  attack,  the  combatants  advanced 
upon  each  other  but  not  at  the  charge  as  would  have 
been  the  case  had  lances  been  their  weapons.  In 
stead,  they  caused  their  horses  to  curvet  and  prance 

140 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

and  change  suddenly  from  one  direction  to  an 
other.  These  manoeuvres,  resembling  those  of  two 
wrestlers,  were  designed  to  disconcert  the  aim,  and 
in  the  present  instance  did  so  with  such  complete 
effect  that  each  of  the  champions  emptied  two  pistols 
without  touching  his  enemy. 

They  now  resorted  to  the  battle  axe,  on  which 
the  Turk  rested  his  hope  of  success.  He  found  in 
Captain  John  Smith  an  antagonist  little  less  pro 
ficient  than  himself.  For  a  while  the  strife  waxed 
warm  and  fast  without  any  perceptible  advantage  to 
either.  Heavy  blows  were  aimed  and  fended  with 
out  ceasing,  leaving  neither,  as  Smith  tells  us,,  with 
"  scarce  sense  enough  to  keep  his  saddle."  At  length 
a  hard  blow  delivered  by  the  Turk  struck  John's 
weapon  near  the  head  and  it  flew  from  his  hand.  At 
the  sight  of  this  advantage  gained  by  their  champion, 
the  people  of  Regall  set  up  such  a  shout  as  to  shake 
the  walls  of  the  city. 

It  was  a  critical  moment.  Smith  was  disarmed. 
The  Turk  was  within  arm's  length  of  him.  He 
raised  his  battle  axe  to  strike  a  crushing  blow.  Be 
fore  it  could  descend  the  Norman  charger  had  sprung 
aside  and  the  weapon  cut  the  air  harmlessly.  But 
the  danger  was  only  averted  for  a  moment.  The 
Turk  pressed  close  upon  his  adversary,  striving  to 
strike,  but  each  time  the.  axe  was  raised  the  good 
horse  reared  suddenly  or  sprung  away. 

Meanwhile  Captain  Smith  had  succeeded  in  draw- 
141 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

ing  his  falchion.  Hardly  had  its  point  cleared  the 
scabbard,  when  Mulgro  again  came  on  with  an 
incautious  rush.  As  the  Turk  raised  his  arm  to 
swing  the  heavy  weapon,  Smith  thrust  with  full 
force  and  ran  his  sword  through  the  body  of  Boni 
Mulgro. 

The  Christian  army  was  fairly  wild  with  delight 
at  this  third  victory  of  Captain  John  Smith,  and  the 
commander  ordered  a  pageant  in  his  honor.  With 
an  escort  of  six  thousand  men-at-arms,  the  three 
Turk's  heads  and  the  spoils  of  the  three  combats 
borne  before  him,  Captain  Smith  was  conducted  to 
the  pavilion  of  the  general,  who  received  him  sur 
rounded  by  his  principal  officers.  Prince  Mpyses 
embraced  our  hero  in  the  presence  of  the  troops  and, 
after  complimenting  him  warmly  on  his  valiant 
deeds,  presented  him  with  a  splendid  charger  richly 
caparisoned,  a  beautiful  scimitar  of  Damascus  steel 
and  a  belt  containing  three  hundred  ducats. 

But  more  highly  than  these  gifts  John  valued  the 
distinction  bestowed  upon  him  by  his  old  comman 
der.  Count  Meldritch,  truly  proud  of  his  young 
protege,  there  and  then  appointed  him  a  major- 
captain  in  his  regiment. 

Nor  were  these  the  only  rewards  that  fell  to  the 
lot  of  Captain  John  Smith  on  account  of  his  prowess 
at  the  siege  of  Regall.  At  a  later  period,  when  the 
knowledge  of  his  conduct  came  to  Duke  Sigismund 
Bathor  of  Transylvania,  he  presented  our  hero  with 

142 


THE  THREE  TURKS 

a  picture  of  himself  set  in  gold,  conferred  upon  him 
a  yearly  pension  of  three  hundred  ducats — a  snug 
sum  in  those  days — and  capped  all  with  a  patent  of 
nobility.  This  patent  entitled  Captain  John  Smith 
to  a  coat  of  arms,  bearing  three  Turks'  heads  in  a 
shield. 

John  Smith's  patent  of  nobility,  setting  forth  the 
deeds  for  which  it  was  conferred,  may  be  seen  in 
the  College  of  Heralds,  London,  where,  in  its  orig 
inal  Latin  form,  it  was  officially  recorded  August 
igth,  1625,  by  Sir  William  Segar,  Garter  King-at- 
arms. 


143 


XI. 

BRAVE  HEARTS  AND   TRUE 


RECALL  is  BOMBARDED  AND  TAKEN  BY  ASSAULT — THE  EARL  OF 
MELDRITCH  LEADS  AN  ARMY  OF  THIRTY  THOUSAND  INTO 
WALLACHIA — FIERCE  FIGHTING  AND  A  RETREAT  THROUGH 
THE  ENEMY'S  COUNTRY — THE  "  MASTER  OF  STRATAGEM  " 
COMMANDS  THE  VANGUARD  AND  CLEARS  A  PASS — THE  EAIU/S 
DEPLETED  ARMY  MAKES  A  LAST  STAND  IN  THE  FATEFUL 
VALLEY  OF  VfiRISTHORNE — FORTY  THOUSAND  TARTARS  LAY 
BEFORE  THEM  AND  IN  THEIR  REAR  THIRTY  THOUSAND  TURKS 
— THE  CHRISTIANS  MAKE  A  SPLENDID  BUT  HOPELESS 
DEFENSE — THEY  ATTEMPT  TO  CUT  THEIR  WAY  OUT  AND  A 
MERE  HANDFUL  ESCAPE — JOHN  SMITH  IS  LEFT  ON  THE 

FIELD  COVERED  WITH   WOUNDS — HE  IS  FOUND  BY  THE  ENEMY 

AND  TENDED — SOLD  FOR  A  SLAVE  AT  AXOPOLIS  AND  SENT  TO 
CONSTANTINOPLE. 

ALTHOUGH  the  defeat  of  their  champions  natu 
rally  had  a  depressing  effect  upon  the  garrison,  they 
continued  to  maintain  a  strong  defence.  The 
approaches,  upon  which  the  besiegers  had  been  at 
work  for  weeks  were  now,  however,  completed  and 
their  guns  brought  within  close  range  of  the  walls 
of  Regall.  For  fifteen  days  a  constant  fire  was  kept 
up  by  twenty-six  pieces  of  artillery  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time  two  large  breaches  afforded  ample  avenues 
for  assault. 

144 


BRAVE  HEARTS  AND  TRUE 

When  the  Christian  army  entered  the  town  a  ter 
rific  conflict  ensued,  but  after  two  days  of  hand  to 
hand  fighting  through  the  streets  the  citadel  fell 
and  with  the  capture  of  that  inner  stronghold  all 
opposition  ceased.  Prince  Moyses  set  his  men  to 
repair  the  fortifications  and  when  that  had  been 
accomplished  left  a  garrison  in  the  place  and  pro 
ceeded  to  the  reduction  of  a  number  of  neighboring 
towns.  At  the  close  of  these  minor  operations  the 
Prince's  army  was  broken  up  and  Captain  John 
Smith  went  with  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  into 
Wallachia. 

The  Earl  opened  the  campaign  in  Wallachia  with 
a  body  of  thirty  thousand  veteran  troops,  of  which 
his  own  regiment  was  the  pick.  Opposed  from  the 
first  to  great  odds,  they  performed  magnificent  ser 
vice  until  finally  annihilated  in  the  fatal  valley  of 
Veristhorne.  But  the  army  of  Meldritch  had  many 
a  hard  fought  fight  before  that  dreadful  day.  There 
was  one  great  battle  in  Wallachia  which  closed  with 
twenty-five  thousand  dead  upon  the  field.  They 
lay  so  thick  that  "  there  was  scarce  ground  to  stand 
upon,"  says  Smith,  "  but  upon  the  dead  carcasses." 
Though  the  Turks  were  defeated  in  this  affair,  the 
victory  had  been  purchased  at  such  a  heavy  cost 
that  the  Earl  decided  to  retreat  upon  the  fortified 
town  of  Rothenthrum,  and  this  with  as  little  delay  as 
possible  because  fresh  bodies  of  the  enemy  were 
moving  against  him  from  every  direction. 
10  145 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

The  march  of  the  retiring  army  was  hampered  at 
every  step  by  the  enemy,  who  hung  upon  its  rear  and 
flanks  and  engaged  portions  of  it  in  frequent  skir 
mishes.  The  men  were  thus  wearied  and  their 
progress  retarded.  The  special  object  of  these  tac 
tics  on  the  part  of  the  Turks  became  apparent  when 
the  Christian  commander  learned  that  a  strong  force 
had  thrown  itself  across  his  path.  It  was  posted  in 
a  pass  through  which  Meldritch  must  necessarily 
go  in  order  to  reach  Rothenthrum.  Nor  was  this 
all,  for  the  same  news-bearer  informed  the  general 
that  an  army  of  forty  thousand  Tartars  was  moving 
rapidly  to  join  the  Turks  in  the  defile. 

The  situation  was  extremely  perilous  but  it 
allowed  the  Earl  no  alternative  from  the  desperate 
course  of  attacking  a  body  twice  as  numerous  as  his 
own,  enjoying  the  advantage  of  an  ideal  position. 
To  turn  back  would  be  certain  destruction.  To  stay 
where  he  was  would  be  to  die  like  a  rat  in  a  trap. 
The  only  hope — and  it  was  very  slim — lay  in  cutting 
a  way  through  the  Turks  holding  the  pass  and  gain 
ing  the  town,  only  a  few  miles  beyond,  before  the 
reinforcing  Tartars  could  arrive.  Hesitation  was 
foreign  to  the  character  of  Meldritch.  Putting  a 
bold  face  upon  the  matter,  he  marched  on  until 
within  a  mile  of  the  pass  and  then  halted  his  men 
to  prepare  for  an  attack  as  soon  as  night  should  fall. 

In  the  meanwhile  our  hero's  busy  brain  had  been 
at  work,  and  when  the  troops  came  to  a  halt  he  had 

146 


BRAVE  HEARTS  AND  TRUE 

a  simple  but  well-devised  plan  to  propose  to  his  com 
mander.  He  lost  no  time  in  repairing  to  the  spot 
where  the  general  stood  consulting  with  his  leading 
officers.  Although  no  more  than  a  major-captain, 
Smith  could  always  gain  the  ear  of  his  superiors, 
who  had  long  since  learned  to  respect  his  judgment 
and  shrewd  resourcefulness. 

"  Way  there  for  my  '  Master  of  Stratagem,' ' 
cried  the  Earl  banteringly,  as  our  hero  approached. 
"  Now  I  warrant  he  hath  some  bold  proposal  to 
advance  that  shall  give  us  easement  in  this  difficulty. 
Thou  art  always  welcome  Captain  Smith,  for 
methinks  Dame  Fortune  dances  close  attendance  on 
thee." 

Smith  revealed  his  scheme  and  immediately  re 
ceived  the  consent  of  the  commander  to  its  execution. 

"  By  my  halidame ! "  said  the  pleased  general, 
"  this  powder-magician  of  ours  would  rout  the  forces 
of  Pluto  and  distract  his  realm  with  horrible  con 
trivances.  Take  what  men  you  need  and  make  what 
arrangements  your  judgment  prompts,  Captain 
Smith.  Tonight  the  van  is  under  your  command." 

The  leader  of  the  vanguard  was  decidedly  the 
post  of  honor  in  such  an  action  as  was  about  to 
begin,  and  as  our  captain  rode  forward  in  the  dark 
at  the  head  of  three  hundred  picked  horsemen,  he 
felt  justly  proud  of  the  position  assigned  to  him. 
Each  of  his  men  carried  a  spear  on  the  head  of  which 
was  fastened  a  bunch  of  fireworks,  designed  to  make 

147 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

as  much  noise  and  splutter  as  possible.  When  they 
had  arrived  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  Turks 
who  lay  in  waiting  at  the  entrance  to  the  pass,  each 
man  lighted  the  combustibles  at  the  end  of  his  lance 
and  charged  with  it  thrust  in  front  of  his  horse's 
head.  The  effect  upon  the  enemy  was  immediate 
and  decisive.  Panic  seized  their  ranks.  They 
turned  and  fled,  falling  over  one  another  in  their 
terrified  haste  to  escape  the  demons  by  which  they 
supposed  themselves  to  be  beset.  The  horses  of  their 
cavalry,  no  less  alarmed  by  the  strange  sight, 
plunged  wildly  amongst  them,  increasing  the  con 
fusion. 

Into  this  disordered  mass  rode  Smith's  horsemen 
followed  by  the  main  body,  slaying  as  they  went. 
So  they  cut  their  way  through  the  pass  and  emerged 
on  the  other  side  without  losing  a  score  of  their 
number.  It  was  a  great  achievement,  but  Mel- 
dritch's  little  army  was  still  in  very  grave  danger. 
The  Tartars  were  close  at  hand  if  not  already  in  the 
way.  The  Earl  pushed  forward,  but  he  dared  not 
urge  his  troops  to  their  utmost  speed,  in  case  he 
should  come  upon  the  enemy  with  his  horses  ex 
hausted.  Furthermore,  the  night  was  unusually 
dark  and  the  men  had  to  keep  to  the  road  and  pro 
ceed  cautiously  for  fear  of  falling  or  losing  their 
way. 

With  the  first  streaks  of  dawn,  the  anxious  Earl, 
riding  at  the  head  of  the  column,  began  to  gaze 

148 


BRAVE  HEARTS  AND  TRUE 

forward  with  straining  eyes.  They  were  entering 
the  valley  of  Veristhorne  and  the  refuge  they  sought 
was  scarce  three  miles  distant.  Presently  the  gen 
eral,  looking  across  the  valley,  dimly  discerned  the 
black  bulk  of  Rothenthrum  upon  the  farther  side. 
But  the  cry  of  joy  that  started  from  his  lips  was 
cut  short  by  the  sight  of  a  huge  dark  mass  stretched 
across  the  middle  ground.  It  was  too  late.  Forty 
thousand  Tartars  lay  before  them  and  in  their  rear 
thirty  thousand  Turks  were  advancing. 

The  Earl  of  Meldritch  was  one  of  those  rare  com 
binations — a  dashing  leader  and  a  sound  general. 
His  inclination  would  have  prompted  him  to  charge 
the  horde  of  barbarians  that  lay  in  his  path,  but  such 
a  course  would  have  been  suicidal.  Instead,  he  led 
his  troops  to  the  base  of  a  mountain  where  he  imme 
diately  began  dispositions  to  withstand  an  attack. 
The  Tartars  commenced  to  form  their  ranks  at  sun 
rise  but,  fortunately  for  the  Christians,  did  not  ad 
vance  until  noon.  This  unexpected  respite  enabled 
Meldritch,  not  only  to  rest  his  men  and  horses  after 
their  all-night  march,  but  also  to  make  some  rough 
defences.  The  Tartar  cavalry  were  the  greater  pro 
portion  of  their  army  and  that  most  to  be  feared. 
In  order  to  check  their  charges,  the  Earl  surrounded 
his  position,  except  where  it  rested  upon  the  moun 
tain,  with  a  cordon  of  sharpened  stakes,  driven  firmly 
into  the  ground. 

The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  when  the  Tartar 
149 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

horsemen  advanced  to  the  discordant  clamor  of 
drums,  trumpets  and  hautboys.  In  dense  ranks  they 
stretched  far  beyond  each  flank  of  the  small  Chris 
tian  army  and  looked  as  though  they  might  envelop 
and  swallow  it  with  ease.  Behind  them  came  a 
horde  of  foot-soldiers  armed  with  bows  and  bills. 
By  this  time  detached  bodies  of  Turks  began  to 
appear  on  the  surrounding  hills  where  they  com 
placently  sat  down  to  watch  the  combat  in  the  arena 
below,  prepared,  if  necessary,  to  reinforce  the  Tar 
tars.  These  additional  enemies  amounted  to  about 
fifteen  thousand  in  number,  so  that  Meldritch's  ten 
thousand  were  hopelessly  overpowered.  The  Earl 
realized  that  his  little  force  was  doomed  but,  like  a 
good  and  brave  commander,  he  had  made  the  best 
disposition  possible  of  them  and  was  determined 
to  fight  to  the  last. 

When  the  Tartar  horse  had  advanced  to  within 
a  half  mile  of  his  position,  Meldritch  launched  a  body 
of  his  cavalry  under  Nederspolt  against  them. 
These  veteran  troopers  made  a  most  brilliant  charge 
and  threw  the  enemy  into  confusion,  but  the  numbers 
of  the  Christians  were  too  small  to  permit  them  to 
follow  up  this  advantage  and  they  wisely  retired 
within  their  lines.  The  Tartars  now  advanced  their 
foot,  whilst  their  horsemen  reformed  on  either  flank. 
The  sky  was  presently  darkened  by  flight  after  flight 
of  countless  arrows  which,  however,  did  compara 
tively  little  harm.  The  Christians  retaliated  with 

150 


BRAVE  HEARTS  AND  TRUE 

another  charge,  breaking  the  centre  of  the  enemy  and 
checking  his  advance.  With  ten  thousand  more 
cavalry  Meldritch  might  have  swept  the  ill  disci 
plined  assailants  from  the  field,  but  he  was  too  weak 
to  venture  upon  aggressive  tactics  and  once  again 
had  to  retire  his  men  in  face  of  a  success. 

In  anticipation  of  a  renewal  of  the  attack  by  the 
Tartar  horsemen,  Meldritch  had  formed  his  infantry, 
under  Veltus,  just  beyond  the  palisade  of  stakes. 
They  were  ordered  to  hold  their  ground  as  long  as 
possible  and  then  to  fall  back  behind  the  defence. 
The  Tartars,  confident  in  their  superior  numbers, 
as  well  they  might  be,  charged  repeatedly.  Each 
time  they  were  gallantly  repulsed,  but  at  length 
Veltus  had  lost  so  many  men  that  he  was  forced  to 
fall  back.  The  enemy,  brandishing  their  spears  and 
yelling  exultantly,  followed  close  upon  the  retiring 
foot-soldiers  and  came  quite  unawares  upon  the  rows 
of  sharpened  stakes.  In  a  moment  a  mass  of  strug 
gling  men  and  horses  lay  at  the  mercy  of  Meldritch's 
troops  who  slew  two  thousand  of  them. 

This  splendid  success  on  the  part  of  the  pitiful 
handful  of  Christians  now  reduced  to  half  their 
original  number,  dampened  the  ardor  of  the  Tartars. 
There  was  a  momentary  cessation  in  the  attack  and 
the  defence  might  have  been  maintained  until  dark 
ness  set  in,  perhaps,  but  the  bodies  of  Turks  which 
we  have  mentioned  as  surveying  the  field  in  readiness 
to  render  assistance  if  needed,  now  began  to  descend 

151 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

to  the  valley.  The  Earl  realized  that  once  these 
auxiliaries  joined  forces  with  the  Tartars,  all  would 
be  lost.  He  determined  to  seize  the  moment  of 
hesitancy  on  the  part  of  the  latter  to  make  an  attempt 
to  break  through  them  and  gain  the  town  of  Rothen- 
thrum.  Accordingly,  he  quickly  formed  his  cavalry 
in  the  van  and  advanced  to  the  attack.  It  was  a 
forlorn  hope  but  no  better  prospect  offered.  Five 
thousand  men  threw  themselves  upon  thirty  thousand 
with  the  desperation  of  despair.  The  Earl,  upon  his 
great  white  charger,  rode  in  the  lead,  followed  by  his 
own  regiment  in  which  Captain  Smith  was  now  the 
senior  officer.  Straight  at  the  Tartar  cavalry  they 
went  and  cut  their  way  through  the  front  ranks  as 
though  they  had  been  but  paper  barricades.  But 
rank  after  rank  confronted  them  and  with  each  fresh 
contact  they  left  numbers  of  their  own  men  behind. 
The  slaughter  was  indescribable.  Soon  they  were 
the  centre  of  a  maelstrom  of  frenzied  human  beings 
with  scarce  more  chance  for  escape  than  has  a  canoe 
in  the  vortex  of  a  whirlpool.  They  fought  like 
heroes  to  the  death  and  made  fearful  havoc  among 
their  enemies.  The  gallant  Earl  and  a  few  hundred 
followers  made  their  way  as  by  a  miracle  through 
the  surrounding  mass  and  swimming  the  River 
Altus,  escaped. 

The  setting  sun  looked  down  upon  thirty  thousand 
dead  and  dying  strewn  over  the  Valley  of  Veris- 
thorne,  but  lying  in  gory  heaps  where  the  last  des- 

152 


BRAVE  HEARTS  AND  TRUE 

perate  struggle  had  taken  place.  There  lay  the 
flower  of  that  splendid  army  of  thirty  thousand 
veterans  that  the  Earl  of  Meldritch  had  proudly  led 
into  Wallachia  a  few  months  before  and  amongst 
them  almost  all  his  leading  officers.  "  Give  me 
leave,"  says  Captain  Smith,  in  his  account  of  the 
affair,  "  to  remember  the  names  of  my  own  country 
men  in  these  exploits,  that,  as  resolutely  as  the  best, 
in  the  defense  of  Christ  and  his  Gospel  ended  their 
days;  as  Baskerfield,  Hardwicke,  Thomas  Milmer, 
Robert  Molineux,  Thomas  Bishop,  Francis  Comp- 
ton,  George  Davison,  Nicholas  Williams  and  one 
John,  a  Scot,  did  what  men  could  do ;  and  when  they 
could  do  no  more  left  there  their  bodies,  in  testimony 
of  their  minds.  Only  Ensign  Carleton  and  Sergeant 
Robinson  escaped." 

These  men  were  members  of  Smith's  company  and 
their  captain  lay  among  them  where  he  had  fallen 
covered  with  wounds.  But  he  was  not  quite  dead. 
The  Turks  and  Tartars  going  over  the  field  in  search 
of  spoils  were  attracted  to  him  by  the  superiority  of 
his  armor.  This  led  them  to  believe  that  he  was 
a  man  of  rank,  and  finding  that  he  still  lived  they 
carried  him  into  their  camp  with  a  view  to  preserv 
ing  his  life  for  the  sake  of  ransom.  His  hurts  were 
tended  and  he  was  nursed  with  care.  When  suf 
ficiently  recovered  to  travel,  he  was  sent  down  to 
the  slave  market  at  Axopolis.  Here  Smith  was  put 
up  to  auction  together  with  a  number  of  other  poor 

iS3 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

wretches  who  had  escaped  death  on  the  field  of  battle 
to  meet  with  a  worse  fate,  perhaps,  at  the  hands  of 
cruel  masters. 

Our  hero  fetched  a  good  price,  as  much  on  account 
of  his  vigorous  appearance  as  because  there  seemed 
to  be  a  prospect  of  profit  in  the  purchase  if  he  should 
turn  out  to  be  a  nobleman  as  was  suspected.  He 
was  bought  by  the  Pasha  Bogall  and  sent  by  him  as 
a  present  to  his  affianced  at  Constantinople.  Smith 
tells  us  that  "  by  twenty  and  twenty,  chained  by  the 
necks,  they  marched  in  files  to  this  great  city,  where 
they  were  delivered  to  their  several  masters,  and  he 
to  the  young  Charatza  Tragabigzanda." 


XII. 

SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 


JOHN    SMITH    is   DELIVERED   TO   THE   LADY    CHARATZA,    HIS 

FUTURE  MISTRESS — HE  FALLS  INTO  KIND  HANDS  AND 
EXCITES  THE  TURKISH  MAIDEN'S  INTEREST — HER  MOTHER 
INTERVENES  AND  HE  IS  SENT  TO  AN  OUTLYING  PROVINCE — 
HE  FINDS  A  BRUTAL  MASTER  AND  IS  SUBJECTED  TO  TREAT 
MENT  "  BEYOND  THE  ENDURANCE  OF  A  DOG  " — HE  SLAYS  THE 

CRUEL  TlMARIOT  AND  ESCAPES  UPON  HIS  HORSE — WANDERS 
ABOUT  FOR  WEEKS  AND  AT  LENGTH  REACHES  A  CHRISTIAN 
SETTLEMENT — ADVENTURES  IN  AFRICA — A  TRIP  TO  SEA  WITH 
CAPTAIN  MERHAM — THE  BRITISHER  FIGHTS  TWO  SPANISH 
SHIPS  AND  HOLDS  HIS  OWN — SMITH  RENDERS  GOOD  SERVICE 
IN  THE  FIGHT  AND  EMPLOYS  ONE  OF  HIS  NOVEL  "STRATA 
GEMS  " — RETURN  TO  ENGLAND. 

JOHN  SMITH  had  never  found  himself  in  worse 
straits  than  now,  as  shackled  to  a  fellow  slave  he 
tramped  along  the  road  between  Axopolis  and  the 
Turkish  capital.  Hopeless  as  the  situation  seemed 
to  be,  he  did  not  give  himself  up  to  despair,  nor  wear 
himself  by  repining  over  a  condition  which  was  be 
yond  his  power  to  remedy.  He  had  learned  from 
experience  that  the  sun  is  apt  to  break  through  the 
clouds  of  the  darkest  day  and  when  we  are  least 
expecting  it.  So,  with  the  philosophy  that  is  charac 
teristic  of  the  true  soldier  of  fortune,  he  determined 

iS5 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

to  await  the  turn  of  events  with  patience,  and  mean 
while  found  entertainment  for  his  mind  in  a  study 
of  the  strange  people  and  places  that  came  to  his 
notice  on  the  way.  He  has  left  an  'interesting 
account  of  these,  but  as  they  had  no  direct  bearing 
upon  the  actual  events  of  his  life,  we  will  pass  them 
over. 

The  Pasha  Bogall  appears  to  have  been  a  character 
somewhat  like  Sir  John  Falstaff,  the  hero  of  imag 
inary  military  exploits.  He  prepared  the  Lady 
Charatza — as  Smith  calls  her — for  the  reception  of 
his  gift  by  a  letter.  In  this  fanciful  missive  the 
Giaour  was  described  as  a  Bohemian  nobleman 
whom  the  valiant  Bogall  had  defeated  in  single 
combat  and  made  prisoner.  In  his  desire  to  exalt 
himself  in  the  mirid  of  his  mistress,  the  Turk  fell 
into  two  errors.  He  took  it  for  granted  that  the 
slave  and  the  Turkish  damsel  would  be  unable  to 
converse  with  each  other  and  he  expatiated  on 
Smith's  prowess  in  order  to  enhance  by  comparison 
his  own  valor  in  overcoming  him. 

The  fair  Charatza  was  naturally  curious  to  see 
this  noble  and  unfortunate  slave  for  whom  she  could 
hardly  fail  to  entertain  feelings  of  compassion. 
When  they  met,  the  lady  was  more  impressed  than 
she  would  have  cared  to  acknowledge  by  the  bearing 
and  address  of  the  handsome  captain.  They  found 
a  ready  means  of  communication  in  Italian  which 
both  understood  and  spoke  with  tolerable  fluency. 

156 


SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 

Questioned  as  to  the  combat  in  which  the  Pasha  had 
defeated  him,  Smith  laughed  and  declared  that  he 
had  never  set  eyes  on  the  doughty  Turk  until  they 
met  in  the  market  place  of  Axopolis.  As  to  being 
a  Bohemian  nobleman,  he  claimed  no  greater  dis 
tinction  than  that  of  an  English  gentleman  and  a 
captain  of  horse. 

Charatza  did  not  doubt  the  truth  of  Captain 
Smith's  statement  to  her,  but  she  caused  inquiry  to 
be  made  about  him  amongst  the  other  captives  who 
had  been  distributed  here  and  there  in  the  city. 
Thus  she  learned  that  her  slave,  whilst  in  truth  no 
more  than  a  captain  in  rank,  was  one  of  the  most 
renowned  soldiers  in  the  army  of  the  Emperor,  and 
indeed  had  no  equal  among  men  of  his  age.  The 
story  of  the  three  Turks  reached  her  through  the 
same  sources  and  aroused  admiration  where  curiosity 
and  compassion  had  before  been  excited.  The  out 
come  was  something  like  that  in  the  story  of  Othello 
and  Desdemona. 

The  Turkish  lady,  young  and  romantic,  found  the 
stories  of  Captain  Smith's  adventures  so  interesting 
that  she  insisted  upon  his  telling  them  over  and  over 
again.  In  order  to  enjoy  this  pleasure,  without 
arousing  criticism  of  her  unusual  familiarity  with  a 
male  slave,  she  had  him  assigned  to  work  in  her 
private  garden  which  formed  a  part  of  the  extensive 
grounds  attached  to  the  mansion.  There  undis 
turbed,  hours  were  spent  daily  by  the  captive  in  recit- 

iS7 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

ing  to  his  fair  owner  stories  of  his  varied  experiences 
and  in  giving  her  accounts  of  different  places  and 
peoples  in  the  wonderful  world  of  which  she  knew 
almost  nothing. 

Thus  several  weeks  passed  and  our  hero,  who  was 
well  fed  and  comfortably  lodged  meanwhile,  fast 
regained  his  wonted  strength  and  energy.  It  may 
be  asked,  why  did  he  not  attempt  to  escape?  The 
thought  of  course  entered  his  mind,  but  investigation 
soon  satisfied  him  that  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
were  almost  insurmountable.  The  place  was  sur 
rounded  by  high  walls  which  were  guarded  day  and 
night  by  armed  eunuchs.  Smith  had  no  clothes 
but  his  own  nor  any  means  of  securing  others. 
Even  if  he  gained  the  streets  he  would  be  marked 
as  a  foreigner  and  suspected  of  being  an  escaped 
slave.  Under  the  circumstances  he  determined  to 
abide  his  time  in  the  hope  that  his  fair  mistress  might 
become  willing  to  release  him  and  aid  in  his  escape. 

But  affairs  took  a  turn  that  neither  of  the  young 
people,  who  were  beginning  to  feel  a  strong  regard 
for  each  other,  had  looked  for.  The  mother  of  Cha- 
ratza,  informed  by  a  jealous  Turkish  servant  of  the 
meetings  between  her  daughter  and  the  Giaour,  came 
upon  them  one  day  and  expressed  her  indignation 
in  stinging  terms.  She  declared  her  determination 
to  sell  the  English  slave  immediately  and  would  have 
carried  her  threat  into  effect  but  for  the  suggestion 
of  Charatza  that  the  Pasha  might  not  be  pleased  at 

158 


SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 

such  disposition  of  his  gift.  Finally  a  compromise 
was  agreed  upon.  The  brother  of  Charatza  was  a 
Timariot,  that  is  a  Turkish  feudal  chieftain,  at  Nal- 
brits,  in  a  distant  province.  It  was  decided  that 
Smith  should  be  sent  there,  Charatza  hoping  to  be 
able  to  contrive  his -return,  and  indeed  having  some 
idea  that  the  captive  might  be  induced  to  turn 
Muhammadan  and  enter  the  Sultan's  army. 

So  John  Smith  was  sent  to  Nalbrits  and  at  the 
same  time  Charatza  despatched  a  letter  to  her  brother 
in  which  she  begged  him  to  treat  the  young  English 
man  kindly  and  to  give  him  the  lightest  sort  of 
work.  Any  good  effect  that  might  have  accrued 
from  this  well-intentioned  but  ill-advised  letter  was 
prevented  by  another  which  went  forward  at  the 
same  time.  In  it  the  Pasha's  mother  told  of  the 
extraordinary  interest  Charatza  had  displayed  in  the 
infidel  slave  and  expressed  a  suspicion  that  the  young 
girl's  affections  had  become  fastened  upon  him. 
This  of  course  enraged  the  haughty  and  fanatical 
Turk  and  the  unfortunate  Smith  immediately  felt 
the  weight  of  his  new  master's  displeasure.  Within 
an  hour  of  his  arrival  at  Nalbrits  he  was  stripped 
naked,  his  head  and  face  were  shaved  "  as  smooth 
as  the  palm  of  his  hand  "  and  he  was  put  into  a 
garment  of  undressed  goat-skin  with  an  iron  ring 
round  his  neck. 

Our  hero  now  entered  upon  a  life  too  miserable 
for  description  and,  as  he  expresses  it,  "  beyond  the 

i59 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

endurance  of  a  dog."  He  was  subjected  to  the 
hardest  and  vilest  tasks  and,  being  the  la.test  comer 
among  hundreds  of  slaves,  became  slave  to  the  whole 
herd,  for  such  was  the  custom  which  he  was  in  no 
position  to  contest.  He  found  his  companions  a 
poor  lot,  broken  in  body  and  spirit,  and  sunk  in  apa 
thetic  resignation  to  their  condition.  He  endeav 
ored  to  discover  among  them  a  few  with  sufficient 
courage  and  enterprise  to  plan  an  uprising,  but  soon 
abandoned  the  idea.  It  was  clear  that  any  chance 
that  might  arise  for  escape  would  be  impaired  by  the 
co-operation  of  such  hopelessly  sunken  wretches. 
During  the  months  that  he  remained  in  this  terrible 
bondage  his  main  effort  was  to  sustain  his  own 
spirits  and  to  combat  the  tendency  to  fall  into  des 
pair.  Few  men  could  have  succeeded  in  this,  but 
John  Smith  combined  with  great  physical  strength 
and  the  highest  courage  an  unshakable  trust  in 
Providence.  The  event  justified  his  confidence  and 
he  fully  deserved  the  good  fortune  which  ultimately 
befell  him. 

When  he  had  been  several  months  at  Nalbrits,  it 
happened  that  Smith  was  put  to  work  on  the  thresh 
ing  floor  at  a  country  residence  of  the  Pasha.  Here 
he  labored  with  a  long  heavy  club,  the  flail  not  being 
known  to  the  people  of  those  parts.  The  Pasha 
seems  to  have  entertained  a  feeling  of  positive  hatred 
for  the  slave,  fanned  no  doubt  by  frequent  letters 
from  Charatza,  who  could  have  no  knowledge  of  his 

160 


SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 

condition.  It  was  a  favorite  pastime  with  the  Turk 
to  stand  over  Smith  whilst  at  his  labor  and  taunt 
him.  At  such  times,  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  the  captain  restrained  the  desire  to  leap  upon 
his  persecutor  and  strangle  him.  He  knew,  how 
ever,  that  to  have  raised  his  hand  against  his  cruel 
master  would  have  entailed  torture  and  probably 
a  lingering  death. 

One  morning  the  Pasha  came  into  the  barn  where 
Smith  was  alone  at  work.  The  malicious  Turk  fell 
to  sneering  at  his  slave  as  usual  and  when  the  latter, 
goaded  beyond  endurance,  replied  with  spirit,  the 
Pasha  struck  him  across  the  face  with  a  riding  whip. 
Smith's  threshing  bat  whistled  through  the  air,  and 
at  the  first  blow  the  brutal  Timariot  lay  dead  at  the 
feet  of  his  slave.  There  was  not  an  instant  to  be 
lost.  It  was  by  the  merest  chance  that  Smith  was 
alone.  The  overseer  might  return  at  any  moment. 
Stripping  the  body  of  the  slain  Pasha  and  hiding  it 
under  a  heap  of  straw,  Smith  threw  off  his  goat-skin 
and  hurriedly  donned  the  Turkish  costume.  He 
loosed  the  horse  which  the  Turk  had  ridden  to  the 
spot,  sprang  into  the  saddle  and  galloped  at  random 
from  the  place. 

Smith's  first  impulse  was  to  ride  as  fast  as  possible 
in  the  opposite  direction  to  Nalbrits,  and  this  he  did, 
continuing  his  career  until  night  overtook  him.  He 
entered  a  wood  at  some  distance  from  the  road  and 
there  passed  the  hours  of  darkness.  He  never  failed  to 
ii  161 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

keep  a  clear  head  in  the  most  critical  emergencies  and 
in  the  haste  of  departure  had  not  neglected  to  secure 
the  Pasha's  weapons  and  to  snatch  up  a  sack  of  corn 
from  the  threshing  floor.  The  latter  would  preserve 
his  life  for  some  time  and  with  the  former  he  pro 
posed  to  sell  it  dearly  if  overtaken.  He  had  no  idea 
as  to  what  direction  to  take  in  order  to  reach  a  Chris 
tian  community.  Daybreak  found  him  in  this  con 
dition  of  perplexity,  and  he  resumed  his  wandering 
flight  with  less  impetuosity  and  a  careful  regard  to 
avoid  every  locality  that  appeared  to  be  inhabited. 
At  a  distance  his  costume  might  prove  a  protection, 
but  on  closer  inspection  a  beholder  could  not  fail  to 
note  the  iron  collar  that  proclaimed  him  a  slave. 

Smith  had  ridden  about  aimlessly  for  three  days 
and  nights,  not  knowing  where  he  was  nor  how  far 
from  Nalbrits,  when  he  suddenly  chanced  upon  one 
of  the  great  caravan  roads  that  traversed  Asia  and 
connected  with  the  main  highways  of  Europe.  He 
knew  that  if  he  followed  this  road  far  enough  west 
ward  he  must  come  eventually  into  some  Christian 
country,  but  caution  was  more  necessary  than  ever, 
for  these  were  much  travelled  routes.  He  concluded 
to  skirt  the  road  by  day  and  ride  upon  it  only  after 
dark.  At  the  close  of  the  fourth  day  after  his 
escape  he  came  to  the  meeting  point  of  several  cross 
roads  and  then  learned  the  peculiar  method  employed 
by  the  people  of  those  parts  to  direct  travellers.  The 
sign  posts  were  painted  with  various  designs  to 

i6a 


SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 

indicate  the  directions  of  different  countries.  For 
instance,  a  half  moon  pointed  to  the  country  of  the 
Crim  Tartars,  a  black  man  to  Persia,  a  sun  to  China, 
and  a  cross — which  our  hero  perceived  with  joy — 
distinguished  the  road  leading  to  the  Christian  realm 
of  Muscovy,  the  Russia  of  today. 

After  sixteen  days'  riding,  without  encountering 
a  mishap,  Smith  arrived  safely  at  a  Muscovite  settle 
ment  on  the  Don  where  he  was  warmly  received. 
The  galling  badge  of  bondage  was  filed  from  his 
neck  and  he  felt  then,  but  not  before,  once  more  a 
free  man.  His  wants  were  supplied  and  he  was 
furnished  with  sufficient  money  to  enable  him  to  con 
tinue  his  journey  in  comfort.  He  proceeded  into 
Transylvania  where  his  old  comrades  welcomed  him 
as  one  from  the  grave,  having  lamented  him  as 
among  the  dead  at  Rothenthrum.  The  Earl  of  Mel- 
dritch  was  delighted  to  meet  his  old  captain  and 
"  Master  of  Stratagem  "  once  more  and  regretted 
that  the  existing  state  of  peace  prevented  their  fight 
ing  together  again.  That  condition  determined  our 
hero  to  seek  service  in  Africa  where  he  heard  that  a 
war  was  in  progress.  Before  his  departure,  Prince 
Sigismund  presented  him  with  fifteen  hundred 
ducats,  and  so  he  set  out  with  a  well-filled  purse  and 
a  light  heart. 

Captain  Smith  journeyed  to  Barbary  in  company 
with  a  French  adventurer  who,  like  himself,  cared 
little  where  he  went  so  that  the  excursion  held  out 

163 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

a  prospect  of  fighting  and  new  experiences.  On  this 
occasion,  however,  they  were  disappointed  in  their 
hope  of  military  service.  They  found  the  conditions 
such  as  they  were  not  willing  to  become  involved  in. 
The  Sultan  of  Barbary  had  been  poisoned  by  his 
wife,  and  two  of  his  sons,  neither  of  whom  had  a 
right  to  the  succession,  were  contending  for  the 
throne.  Our  adventurers  considered  this  state  of 
things  more  akin  to  murder  than  to  war  and  declined 
to  take  any  part  in  it,  although  they  might  without 
doubt  have  enriched  themselves  by  doing  so. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  port  of  Sam",  Captain  Smith 
found  a  British  privateering  vessel  in  the  harbor 
under  the  command  of  a  Captain  Merham.  An 
acquaintance  sprang  up  between  the  two  which 
quickly  ripened  into  friendship.  One  evening, 
Smith  with  some  other  guests  was  paying  a  visit  to 
the  privateer,  when  a  cyclone  suddenly  swept  down 
upon  them.  Captain  Merham  barely  had  time  to 
slip  his  cable  before  the  hurricane  struck  his  ship 
and  drove  it  out  to  sea.  All  night  they  ran  before 
the  wind,  and  when  at  length  the  storm  had  ceased 
they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Canaries.  The  Cap 
tain  wished  to  "  try  some  conclusions,"  after  the 
manner  of  Captain  La  Roche  on  a  former  occasion, 
before  returning  to  port.  His  guests  were  not 
averse  to  the  proposal  and  so  he  hung  about  to  see 
what  vessels  chance  might  throw  in  their  way. 

They  were  soon  rewarded  by  intercepting  a  Por- 
164 


SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 

tuguese  trader  laden  with  wine  from  Teneriffe. 
This  they  eased  of  its  cargo  and  allowed  to  go  its 
way.  The  next  day  they  espied  two  sails  some  miles 
distant  and  proceeded  to  overhaul  them.  They  did 
this  with  such  success  that  they  were  within  small- 
arm  range  of  the  ships  before  they  perceived  them 
to  be  Spanish  men-of-war,  either  superior  to  them 
selves  in  armament  and  probably  in  men.  Seeing 
himself  so  greatly  overmatched,  Merham  endeavored 
to  escape,  and  a  running  fight  was  maintained  for 
hours.  At  length,  towards  sunset,  the  Spaniards 
damaged  the  Britisher's  rigging  and  coming  up 
with  him,  boarded  from  either  side.  Merham's  ship 
must  have  been  captured  by  the  enemy,  who  greatly 
outnumbered  his  own  men,  but  whilst  the  fight  on 
deck  was  in  progress,  Captain  Smith  secured  "  divers 
bolts  of  iron" — cross-bars,  probably — with  which  he 
loaded  one  of  the  guns.  The  charge  tore  a  hole  so 
large  in  one  of  the  Spanish  ships  that  it  began  to 
sink.  At  this  both  the  attacking  vessels  threw  off 
their  grappling  irons  and  withdrew. 

The  Spaniards  were  busy  for  two  or  more  hours 
repairing  the  breach  in  their  ship  and  Merham  was 
occupied  as  long  in  putting  his  sailing  gear  in  order, 
so  that  he  could  not  profit  by  the  damage  to  the 
enemy.  When  at  length  he  did  get  under  way  the 
Spaniards  were  in  condition  to  follow  and  the  chase 
was  continued  all  night.  With  the  break  of  day 
the  fight  was  resumed,  but  not  before  the  Spanish 

165 


THE  SOLDIER  OF  FORTUNE 

senior  officer  had  offered  the  British  captain  quarter 
if  he  would  surrender.  Merham  answered  this  pro 
posal  with  his  cannon  and  hove  to  with  the  intention 
of  fighting  it  out. 

The  Spaniards  realized  that  they  were  no  match 
for  the  Britisher  in  gun-play  and  they  therefore  lost 
no  time  in  grappling.  A  fierce  hand  to  hand  con 
flict  ensued  and  lasted  for  an  hour  with  varying 
success,  but  the  odds  were  beginning  to  tell  against 
Merham's  men  when  their  captain  turned  the  tide 
by  a  clever  stratagem.  He  sent  some  sailors  aloft 
to  unsling  the  mainsail  and  let  it  fall  on  the  top  of 
a  number  of  Spaniards  beneath.  Whilst  these  were 
struggling  to  get  clear  of  the  canvas,  about  twenty 
of  them  were  killed.  This  disheartening  occurrence 
induced  the  attacking  ships  to  disengage.  The  can 
nonading  continued  on  both  sides,  however,  and  after 
a  while  the  Spanish  captains  once  more  boarded  with 
all  the  men  available. 

Again  the  combat  raged  at  close  quarters  for  an 
hour  or  more  and  again  Merham's  men  began  to  give 
way  under  the  weight  of  superior  numbers.  This 
time  it  was  Captain  Smith  who  saved  the  situation 
by  a  desperate  expedient.  A  number  of  Spaniards 
had  gathered  near  the  centre  of  the  ship  upon  a 
grating  which  afforded  them  the  advantage  of  an 
elevated  station.  Beneath  this  body  of  the  enemy, 
our  hero  exploded  a  keg  of  powder.  This  had  the 
effect  of  blowing  about  thirty  Spaniards  off  the 

166 


SLAVERY  AND  A  SEA-FIGHT 

scene  but  at  the  same  time  it  set  fire  to  the  ship. 
The  flames  sent  the  boarders  scurrying  back  to  their 
own  vessels  which  sailed  to  a  safe  distance. 

Whilst  Merham  was  engaged  in  putting  out  the 
fire  the  Spaniards  kept  their  guns  playing  upon  him, 
ceasing  only  at  intervals  to  make  proposals  for  sur 
render,  at  all  of  which  the  British  captain  laughed. 
When  the  flames  were  extinguished  he  invited  the 
Spanish  officers  with  mock  ceremony  to  come  on 
board  his  vessel  again,  assuring  them  that  Captain 
Smith  was  yearning  to  afford  them  further  enter 
tainment.  But  the  Spaniards  had  no  longer  any 
stomach  for  boarding  parties  and  contented  them 
selves  with  firing  at  long  range  until  nightfall  when 
they  sailed  away. 

Captain  Merham  took  his  crippled  ship  back  to 
Saffi  to  undergo  repairs  and  there  our  hero  left  him, 
after  expressing  his  gratification  for  the  diversion 
the  privateersman  had  afforded  him,  and  took  ship 
for  England. 


167 


THE  AMERICAN 
COLONIST 


XIII. 

A  BAD  BEGINNING 


JOHN  SMITH  BECOMES  INTERESTED  IN  AMERICAN  COLONIZATION 
— DEVOTES  HIS  MONEY  AND  HIS  SERVICES  TO  THE  VIRGINIA 
VENTURE — SAILS  WITH  AN  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  NEW  WORLD 
COMPOSED  OF  AN  ILL-ASSORTED  COMPANY  OF  ADVENTURERS — 
THEY  FALL  INTO  DISSENSIONS  AT  THE  OUTSET — EACH  is 

JEALOUS  OF  OTHERS  AND  ALL  OF  JOHN  SMITH — HE  IS 
PLACED  UNDER  ARREST  AND  A  GALLOWS  ERECTED  FOR  HIS 
ACCOMMODATION — THE  EMIGRANTS  GROW  WEARY  OF  THE 
ADVENTURE — WHEN  ALMOST  WITHIN  SIGHT  OF  THE  CONTI 
NENT  THEY  PLAN  TO  PUT  ABOUT  AND  RETURN  TO  ENGLAND — 
A  STORM  DECIDES  THE  MATTER  BY  SWEEPING  THEM  INTO 

CHESAPEAKE  BAY — A  PARTY  is  LANDED  AND  HAS  AN  EARLY 

CONFLICT  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 

THE  life  of  John  Smith  naturally  divides  itself 
into  two  parts,  each  covering  about  twenty-five 
years.  We  have  followed  him  through  the  former 
period  with  its  exciting  episodes  and  varying  scenes. 
During  this  term  he  is  the  soldier  of  fortune,  seeking 
to  satisfy  his  love  of  adventure  and  to  gain  knowl 
edge  and  experience.  Beyond  these  motives  he  has 
no  definite  purpose  in  view.  He  is  ready  to  enlist 
in  any  cause  that  offers  opportunity  for  honorable 
employment.  This  early  stage  of  his  activity  has 
developed  his  mind  and  body  and  strengthened  that 

171 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

stability  of  character  for  which  he  was  distinguished. 
He  returns  to  England,  bronzed  and  bearded,  some 
what  disgusted  with  the  horrors  of  war  and  dis 
satisfied  at  the  futility  of  the  life  of  the  mere  adven 
turer.  His  energy  is  in  no  degree  abated  but  he 
longs  to  find  some  purposeful  direction  for  his  enter 
prise.  Fortunately  for  him,  for  his  country,  and  for 
us,  the  opportunity  awaited  the  man. 

Up  to  this  time,  all  the  efforts  of  Englishmen  to 
plant  colonies  in  America  had  resulted  in  failure. 
The  movement  began  with  the  voyages  and  discover 
ies  of  the  Cabots  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Seventh 
and  for  a  century  was  pursued  with  difficulty  in  the 
face  of  the  superior  naval  strength  of  Spain,  which 
nation  claimed  exclusive  right  to  the  entire  con 
tinent.  The  defeat  of  the  "  invincible  Armada " 
afforded  freedom  of  the  seas  to  English  navigators 
and  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  American 
exploration  and  settlement.  The  majority  of  the 
men  who  engaged  in  this  field  of  enterprise  were 
actuated  by  no  better  motive  than  the  desire  to  gain 
wealth  or  satisfy  a  love  of  adventure.  There  were, 
however,  not  a  few  who  entered  into  the  movement 
with  patriotic  motives  and  of  these  the  gallant  and 
ill-fated  Raleigh  is  the  most  conspicuous.  He  de 
voted  his  fortune  to  exploration  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere  and  spent  in  this  endeavor  more  than 
a  million  dollars.  In  1584  his  vessels  under  Amidas 
and  Barlow  made  a  landing  in  the  Carolinas,  took 

172 


A  BAD  BEGINNING 

possession  in  the  name  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  called 
the  country  "  Virginia."  In  the  following  year  a 
colony  of  one  hundred  and  eight  men  was  sent  out 
under  Sir  Ralph  Lane.  A  settlement  was  made  upon 
the  island  of  Roanoke  but  the  enterprise  was  soon 
abandoned  and  the  colonists  returned  to  England. 
In  1586,  Sir  Richard  Grenville  left  fifty  men  at  the 
deserted  settlement,  only  to  be  massacred  by  the  In 
dians.  But  Raleigh  persisted  in  his  efforts.  An 
other  party  of  emigrants  was  sent  out  and  this  time 
it  was  sought  to  encourage  home-making  in  the  new 
land  by  including  women  in  the  colonists.  The  fate 
of  these  pioneers  who  are  commonly  referred  to  as 
the  "  Lost  Colony  "  is  a  blank.  A  later  expedition 
found  the  site  of  the  settlement  deserted  and  no  trace 
of  its  former  occupants  could  ever  be  discovered. 

The  unfortunate  results  of  these  efforts  dampened 
the  ardor  for  American  colonization  and  for  twelve 
years  there  was  a  cessation  of  the  attempts  to  people 
Virginia.  Raleigh  had  exhausted  his  means  and  his 
later  explorations  were  made  with  borrowed  money 
and  directed  to  the  discovery  of  gold  mines  in 
Guiana.  In  1602,  Bartholomew  Gosnold  made  a 
successful  voyage  to  Virginia,  returning  with  a  cargo 
of  sassafras.  Several  other  expeditions  followed 
which,  although  they  made  no  settlements,  revived 
public  interest  in  the  American  possession  and  made 
the  route  a  comparatively  familiar  one.  When  John 
Smith  returned  to  his  native  land  he  found  the  col- 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

onization  of  Virginia  occupying  a  prominent  place 
in  the  minds  of  his  countrymen.  It  was  a  project 
precisely  fitted  to  satisfy  the  nobler  ambition  which 
now  fired  him  to  devote  his  talents  and  energies  to 
his  country's  service.  It  promised  to  combine  with 
a  useful  career  a  sufficient  element  of  novelty  and 
adventure,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  allying  himself 
with  the  chief  promoters  of  the  movement. 

The  territory  of  Virginia  had  been  granted  to  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  by  Queen  Elizabeth.  The  latter  died 
in  1603,  the  year  before  Smith's  return  to  England, 
and  her  successor,  James  the  First,  imprisoned 
Raleigh  on  a  charge  of  high  treason  and  confiscated 
his  possessions.  In  1606,  the  King  issued  a  charter 
for  the  colonization  of  Virginia  to  a  company,  which 
Smith  joined  with  five  hundred  pounds  of  his  own 
money.  But  previous  to  this  he  had  been  one  of  the 
most  diligent  workers  in  the  promotion  of  the 
scheme,  inducing  merchants  and  noblemen  to  sup 
port  the  project  with  capital  and  persuading  desir 
able  men  to  volunteer  as  colonists.  Neither  object 
was  easy  of  attainment  and  the  latter  was  the  more 
difficult.  Numerous  broken-down  gentlemen  of  in 
different  character  were  eager  to  embrace  the  chance 
of  retrieving  their  fortunes  in  a  new  land,  and  hun 
dreds  of  dissolute  soldiers  out  of  employment  offered 
their  services  to  the  promoters.  But  the  need  was 
for  farmers,  mechanics,  and  laborers,  and  few  of 
these  could  be  induced  to  leave  their  homes  in  the 

174 


A  BAD  BEGINNING 

prosperous  state  of  the  country  at  that  time.  Con 
sequently  the  organizers  of  the  expedition  had  to 
content  themselves  with  a  poor  assortment  of  colon 
ists  who,  but  for  the  presence  of  Captain  John  Smith 
among  them,  would  assuredly  have  added  one  more 
to  the  list  of  failures  connected  with  North  American 
colonization.  It  was  due  to  him  mainly,  and  almost 
solely,  that  the  settlement  at  Jamestown  survived 
and  became  the  root  from  which  branched  the 
United  States  of  America. 

The  expedition,  when  at  length  it  was  organized, 
consisted  of  three  vessels  carrying,  aside  from  their 
crews,  one  hundred  and  five  colonists.  The  largest 
of  the  ships,  named  the  Susan  Constant,  was  barely 
one  hundred  tons  burden,  the  second,  named  the 
Godspeed,  was  somewhat  smaller,  and  the  third,  the 
Discovery,  no  more  than  twenty  tons.  Their  com 
manders  were  Captain  Christopher  Newport,  Cap 
tain  Bartholomew  Gosnold  and  John  Ratcliffe  re 
spectively.  Other  important  members  of  the  expe 
dition  were  Edward  Wingfield,  a  man  with  little  but 
his  aristocratic  connections  to  recommend  him ;  Rob 
ert  Hunt,  a  clergyman,  whose  name  should  be  linked 
with  that  of  John  Smith  as  one  of  the  saviours  of 
the  colony,  and  a  few  whose  introduction  we  may 
defer  until  circumstances  bring  them  prominently 
upon  the  scene.  For  the  rest,  forty-eight  were  gen 
tlemen  of  little  account,  about  thirty  were  men  of 
lower  estate,  but  no  greater  usefulness,  and  only  a 

175 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

score  belonged  to  the  artisan  and  mechanic  class. 
Smith  had  engaged  and  fitted  out  a  few  men  with 
whose  quality  he  had  some  acquaintance,  including 
Carlton  and  Robinson,  the  only  two  Englishmen  of 
his  own  command  who  had  escaped  from  the  disaster 
in  the  Valley  of  Veristhorne. 

In  the  last  days  of  the  year  1606,  this  ill-assorted 
company  sailed  out  of  the  Thames  under  conditions 
calculated  to  create  dissensions  from  the  outset. 
King  James,  one  of  the  most  feeble  monarchs  who 
ever  occupied  the  English  throne,  had  reserved  to 
himself  the  right  to  select  the  Council  by  which  the 
colony  should  be  governed,  allowing  to  that  body  the 
privilege  of  electing  its  President.  But  for  some 
reason,  which  it  is  impossible  to  surmise,  the  choice 
of  the  monarch  was  kept  secret  and  names  of  the 
Council  enclosed  in  a  box  which  was  to  be  opened 
only  when  the  party  reached  its  destination.  Thus 
they  started  upon  the  voyage  without  a  commander 
or  any  recognized  authority  among  them,  and  each 
man  of  prominence,  feeling  satisfied  that  the  King 
could  not  have  overlooked  his  superior  claims  to  a 
place  in  the  Council,  assumed  the  tone  and  bearing 
of  an  accepted  leader  whilst  resenting  similar  action 
on  the  part  of  others. 

The  need  of  acknowledged  authority  was  felt  from 
the  outset.  Newport,  Gosnold,  and  Ratcliffe,  were, 
for  the  nonce,  merely  sailing  masters  and  had  as 
much  as  they  could  well  do  to  fulfill  their  duties  in 

176 


A  BAD  BEGINNING 

that  capacity.  The  expedition  emerged  from  the 
Thames  to  encounter  contrary  winds  and  stormy 
weather,  so  that  it  was  forced  to  beat  about  off  the 
coast  of  England  for  weeks  without  making  any 
progress.  The  emigrants  began  to  quarrel,  and 
among  the  principal  men  of  the  party  there  broke  out 
a  spirit  of  jealousy  which  was  never  allayed.  This 
was  directed  chiefly  against  Captain  Smith.  His 
companions  were  forced  to  admit  to  themselves  that 
this  self-possessed  and  confident  young  man  was 
their  superior  in  all  those  qualities  that  would  be  of 
most  account  in  the  strange  land  for  which  they  were 
destined,  and  they  had  sufficient  discernment  to  real 
ize  that  no  matter  who  might  become  the  nominal 
President  of  the  colony,  John  Smith  would  be  its 
master  spirit  and  actual  leader.  This  was  made 
manifest  in  these  first  few  weeks  of  trying  delay. 
Did  one  of  the  ship-captains  need  assistance  ?  John 
Smith  was  a  practical  navigator  and  could  both 
handle  a  vessel  and  read  the  charts.  In  the  disposi 
tions  for  defence  in  case  of  attack,  he  had  to  be  relied 
upon  as  the  best  gunner  and  leader  of  fighting  men 
among  them.  When  the  voyagers  became  trouble 
some  none  but  John  Smith  could  effectually  quiet 
them.  A  few  words  in  his  calm  firm  tones  would 
quickly  quell  a  disturbance.  Some  of  these  men  had 
served  under  him  and  had  learned  to  respect  his  char 
acter.  The  others  instinctively  felt  that  he  was 
a  man  of  sense  and  strength — one  of  those  rare 
12  177 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

creatures  who  rise  to  every  emergency  and  lift  their 
subordinates  with  them. 

Men  of  broad  and  generous  minds  would  have  re 
joiced  to  think  that  they  had  among  them  one  who 
was  capable  of  steering  them  through  all  their  diffi 
culties  and  whose  experience  would  help  them  to 
avoid  many  a  pitfall  and  disaster.  There  were  a 
few  among  the  gentlemen,  such  as  George  Percy, 
Parson  Hunt  and  Scrivener,  who  took  this  sensible 
view  of  the  situation.  On  the  other  hand,  Wing- 
field,  Kendall,  Ratcliffe,  Archer  and  several  more, 
conscious  of  their  own  inferiority,  became  possessed 
by  an  insane  jealousy  of  our  hero.  This  grew  with 
the  progress  of  the  voyage  and  constant  discussion 
of  their  silly  suspicions,  until  at  length  they  had  fully 
persuaded  themselves  that  Captain  John  Smith  was 
a  dark  conspirator  who  entertained  designs  against 
themselves  and  contemplated  treason  against  his 
King  and  country.  They  believed,  or  professed  to 
believe,  that  he  had  distributed  creatures  of  his  own 
throughout  the  three  vessels  with  the  intention  of 
seizing  the  expedition  and  proclaiming  himself  king 
of  the  new  country  as  soon  as  they  should  arrive 
at  it.  With  this  excuse  they  made  him  a  close  pris 
oner  when  the  vessels  were  in  mid- Atlantic. 

When  the  party  charged  with  this  disgraceful 
office  approached  him  on  the  deck  of  the  Susan  Con 
stant,  Smith  handed  to  them  his  sword  without  a 
word  and  went  below  smiling  grimly.  He  had  long 

178 


A  BAD  BEGINNING 

since  fathomed  the  weakness  and  the  incompetence 
of  these  self-constituted  leaders.  He  knew  that  the 
time  would  come  when  his  services  would  be  indis 
pensable  to  them  and  he  was  content  to  abide  it  in 
patience.  They  should  have  realized  that,  if  their 
suspicions  were  just,  he  had  but  to  raise  his  voice 
and  the  vessels  would  be  instantly  in  mutiny.  But 
they  had  not  sufficient  intelligence  to  perceive  that  if 
John  Smith  was  the  dangerous  character  they 
assumed  him  to  be  their  best  course  was  to  propitiate 
him  rather  than  to  arouse  his  enmity.  Instead  of 
being  impressed  by  the  self-confident  manner  in 
which  he  yielded  to  confinement  in  the  hold  they 
gained  courage  from  the  incident  and  actually 
thought  that  they  might  go  to  any  extreme  without 
resistance  on  his  part.  So,  when  the  vessels  made 
land  at  the  West  Indies,  these  masterful  gentry 
erected  a  gallows  for  the  purpose  of  hanging  our 
hero,  or,  perhaps,  of  frightening  him.  Now  we 
know  that  they  could  not  have  undertaken  a  more 
difficult  task  than  that  of  attempting  to  strike  fear 
into  the  heart  of  John  Smith,  and  as  to  actual  hang 
ing,  whilst  he  had  a  considerable  sense  of  humor, 
it  did  not  carry  him  so  far  as  taking  part  in  a  per 
formance  of  that  sort.  When  they  brought  him  on 
deck  and  solemnly  informed  him  that  the  gallows 
awaited  him,  he  laughed  in  their  faces  and  told  them 
that  it  was  a  shame  to  waste  good  timber,  for  he  had 
not  the  remotest  thought  of  using  the  contrivance. 

179 


In  fact,  he  took  the  matter  with  such  careless  assur 
ance  that  they  wisely  concluded  to  abandon  the 
project  and  sailing  away,  left  their  useless  gallows 
standing. 

Steering  for  that  portion  of  the  mainland  where 
the  former  ill-fated  colonies  had  been  planted,  the 
vessels  were  soon  out  of  their  reckoning  and  beat 
about  for  several  days  without  sight  of  land.  They 
had  been  already  four  months  upon  a  voyage  that 
should  have  occupied  no  more  than  two  and  had 
made  serious  inroads  into  the  stock  of  provisions 
which  was  calculated  to  furnish  the  store  of  the 
settlers.  They  began  to  grow  fearful  and  discon 
tented.  Many  wished  to  put  about  and  sail  home 
ward,  and  even  Ratcliffe,  the  captain  of  the  Dis 
covery,  favored  such  a  course.  Whilst  they  were 
debating  the  proposition,  a  violent  storm  arose  and 
luckily  drove  them  to  their  destination.  On  the 
twenty-sixth  day  of  April,  1607,  they  entered  the 
Bay  of  Chesapeake. 

Eager  to  see  the  new  land  of  promise,  a  party  of 
the  colonists  went  ashore  that  day.  They  wandered 
through  forest  and  glade,  cheered  by  the  genial 
warmth  of  the  southern  clime  and  delighted  with  the 
beautiful  scenery  and  luxuriant  vegetation.  But  be 
fore  they  returned  to  the  ships  they  were  reminded 
that  this  natural  paradise  was  in  possession  of  a 
savage  people  who  could  hardly  be  expected  to  re 
spect  King  James's  gift  of  their  land  to  strangers. 

180 


A  BAD  BEGINNING 

As  the  exploring  party  made  their  way  back  to  the 
shore  they  fell  into  an  ambush — the  first  of  many 
which  they  were  destined  to  experience.  They  had 
not  seen  a  human  being  since  landing,  and  the  shower 
of  arrows  that  proclaimed  the  presence  of  the  In 
dians  came  as  a  complete  surprise.  Neither  redman 
nor  pale-face  was  quite  prepared  for  intimate 
acquaintance  at  this  time,  and  the  sound  of  the 
muskets  sent  the  former  scurrying  to  the  hills  whilst 
the  latter  hurried  to  the  shelter  of  the  ships,  carrying 
two  men  who  had  been  severely  wounded. 

Thus  the  Jamestown  colonists  came  to  America. 
How  little  they  were  qualified  for  the  work  before 
them  we  have  already  seen.  As  we  progress  with 
our  story  we  shall  see  how  often  they  brought  mis 
fortune  upon  themselves  and  how  the  wisdom  and 
energy  of  one  man  saved  the  undertaking  from  utter 
failure. 


181 


XIV. 

POWHATAN  AND  HIS  PEOPLE 


THE  PRESIDENT  AND  COUNCIL  ARE  ESTABLISHED  AND  A  SETTLE 
MENT  MADE  AT  JAMESTOWN — NEWPORT  AND  SMITH  GO  ON 
AN  EXPLORING  EXPEDITION — THEY  MEET  POWHATAN,  THE 
GREAT  WEROWANCE  OF  THE  COUNTRY — THEY  ARE  FEASTED 
AND  FETED  BY  THE  OLD  CHIEF — A  QUICK  RETURN  TO  JAMES 
TOWN  AND  A  TIMELY  ARRIVAL — THE  INDIANS  ATTACK  THE 
SETTLERS  AND  TAKE  THEM  UNAWARES — GALLANT  STAND 
MADE  BY  THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS — THE  APPEARANCE 

OF  NEWPORT  AND  HIS  MEN  PREVENTS  A  MASSACRE — A  FORT 
AND  STOCKADE  ARE  HURRIEDLY  ERECTED — SMITH  IS  TRIED  ON 
A  CHARGE  OF  TREASON  AND  TRIUMPHANTLY  ACQUITTED — 
CAPTAIN  NEWPORT  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND  WITH  THE  TWO 
LARGER  SHIPS. 

IT  was,  indeed,  a  fair  land  to  which  the  white 
men  had  journeyed  from  over  the  seas.  Smith  says 
of  it :  "  Heaven  and  earth  never  agreed  beeter  to 
frame  a  place  for  man's  habitation.  Here  are  moun 
tains,  hills,  plains,  rivers,  and  brooks,  all  running 
most  pleasantly  into  a  fair  bay,  compassed,  but  for 
the  mouth,  with  fruitful  and  delightsome  land." 
The  country  was  covered,  for  the  most  part,  with 
virgin  forest.  Here  and  there  a  small  clearing 
afforded  a  site  for  a  cluster  of  wigwams  around 
which  lay  fields  of  maize  or  other  cereals.  The 

182 


POWHATAN  AND  HIS  PEOPLE 

birds  and  animals  that  we  prize  most  highly  as  table 
delicacies  abounded  in  the  wilds,  and  the  waters 
swarmed  with  fish. 

A  very  small  proportion  of  the  land  was  occupied. 
The  Indian  villages  were  few  and  miles  apart.  The 
country  round  about  the  Jamestown  settlement  was 
in  the  possession  of  the  Algonquin  tribe,  divided 
into  many  bands,  generally  numbering  not  more  than 
a  few  hundred  souls,  each  band  under  its  own  chief 
and  all  owning  allegiance  to  a  king  or  werowance 
named  Powhatan.  There  was  constant  intercourse 
between  the  villages,  and  their  men  joined  together 
for  purposes  of  war,  or  the  chase.  Rough  forest 
trails  formed  the  only  roads  between  the  different 
centres,  whilst  blazed  trees  marked  by-paths  that 
led  to  springs,  favorite  trapping  grounds,  or  other 
localities  of  occasional  resort. 

The  royal  orders  permitted  the  opening  of  the 
box  of  instructions  as  soon  as  the  colonists  should 
have  reached  Virginia,  and  they  lost  no  time  in  satis 
fying  their  anxiety  to  learn  the  membership  of  the 
Council.  It  appeared  that  the  King  had  selected 
for  that  distinction  and  responsibility,  Edward 
Wingfield,  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  Christopher  New 
port,  John  Ratcliffe,  George  Kendall  and  John 
Smith.  The  last  named  was  still  in  irons  and  his 
fellow-councilmen  were,  with  the  possible  exception 
of  Newport,  unfriendly  to  him.  It  was  decided  that 
he  should  not  be  admitted  to  the  body,  and  the 

183 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

remaining  members  proceeded  to  elect  Wingfield, 
Smith's  arch-enemy,  to  the  position  of  President. 

For  the  next  two  weeks  and  more,  the  colonists 
remained  upon  the  ships.  Meanwhile  they  explored 
the  surrounding  country  for  a  favorable  site  on 
which  to  settle.  The  Indians  with  whom  they  came 
in  contact  during  this  time  treated  them  with  the 
utmost  kindness,  freely  furnishing  food  and  tobacco, 
which  latter  few  of  the  settlers  had  ever  smoked, 
although  Raleigh  had  introduced  the  leaf  into  Eng 
land  some  years  earlier.  Everything  was  so  strange 
to  the  adventurers,  many  of  whom  were  absent  from 
their  native  land  for  the  first  time,  that  they  forgot 
for  a  while  their  discontent  and  jealousies  in  the 
interest  and  wonder  excited  by  new  sights  and 
scenes. 

We  can  imagine,  for  instance,  the  mixed  sensa 
tions  of  the  strangers  when  a  band  of  Rappahonacks 
marched  towards  them,  headed  by  their  chief  playing 
upon  a  reed  flute.  They  were  all  fantastically 
trimmed,  we  will  say,  for  their  only  dress  was  a  coat 
of  paint.  The  chief,  as  befitted  his  rank,  was  the 
most  grotesque  figure  of  all,  but  the  effect  was  equally 
hideous  and  awesome  and  the  Englishmen  were 
divided  between  merriment  and  fear.  On  one  side 
of  his  head  the  chief  wore  a  crown  of  deer's  hair 
dyed  red  and  interwoven  with  his  own  raven  locks; 
on  the  other  side,  which  was  shaven,  he  wore  a  large 
plate  of  copper,  whilst  two  long  feathers  stood  up 

184 


POWHATAN  AND  HIS  PEOPLE 

from  the  centre  of  his  crown.  His  body  was  painted 
crimson  and  his  face  blue.  Around  his  neck  was  a 
chain  of  beads,  and  strings  of  pearls  hung  from  his 
ears  which  were  pierced  to  hold  bird's  claws  set  in 
gold.  He  and  his  followers  each  carried  a  bow 
and  arrows  and  a  tomahawk  with  stone  head. 

At  length  it  was  decided  to  settle  upon  a  little 
peninsula  jutting  into  the  river.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  disagreement  about  this  site.  Smith  favored 
it,  mainly  because  its  comparative  isolation  made 
it  easier  to  defend  than  a  location  further  inland, 
but  he  was  allowed  no  voice  in  the  selection. 
It  was,  however,  an  unfortunate  choice,  for  the 
ground  was  low  and  marshy  and  no  doubt  a  great 
deal  of  the  later  mortality  was  due  to  the  unhealthy 
situation  of  the  infant  settlement  of  Jamestown. 
Here,  however,  the  colonists  landed  on  the  thirteenth 
day  of  May  and  set  up  the  tents  in  which  they  lived 
for  some  time  thereafter.  There  is  too  much  to  be 
done  to  justify  the  absence  of  an  available  strong 
arm  and  Smith,  although  virtually  a  prisoner  still,  is 
allowed  to  join  in  the  general  labor  and  this  he  does 
cheerfully  without  any  show  of  resentment  on 
account  of  his  past  treatment. 

The  President  gave  evidence  of  his  incapacity 
from  the  very  outset.  Relying  implicitly  upon  the 
friendly  attitude  of  the  Indians  he  refused  to  allow 
any  defences  to  be  considered,  and  even  went  so  far 
as  to  decline  to  unpack  the  arms  which  had  been 

185 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

brought  from  England,  declaring  that  to  do  so  would 
be  a  display  of  distrust  which  the  savages  might 
resent.  The  latter,  who  were  permitted  to  go  in  and 
out  of  the  camp  with  their  weapons,  were  no  doubt 
for  a  time  divided  in  mind  as  to  whether  the  white 
men  were  superhuman  beings  invulnerable  to  arrows 
or  only  a  species  of  foolish  and  confiding  fellow- 
creatures  such  as  they  had  never  known.  Wingfield 
had  most  of  his  men  busy  felling  trees  and  making 
clapboards  with  which  to  freight  the  vessels  on  their 
return,  for  it  must  be  understood  that  these  colonists 
were  practically  employees  of  the  company  that  had 
been  at  the  expense  of  sending  them  out  and  which 
expected  to  make  a  profit  on  the  investment.  It  was 
necessary  therefore  to  secure  cargoes  for  shipment 
to  England,  but  the  position  should  have  been  forti 
fied  and  houses  erected  before  all  else. 

Newport  was  anxious  to  have  more  extensive 
information  of  the  country  to  report  to  his  employers 
who  entertained  the  belief — absurd  as  it  seems  to  us — 
that  by  penetrating  one  or  two  hundred  miles  farther 
westward  the  settlers  would  come  upon  the  Pacific 
and  open  a  short  route  to  India.  Newport  therefore 
organized  an  expedition  to  explore  the  river.  He 
took  twenty  men  and  was  glad  to  include  Smith  in 
the  party.  There  was  no  opposition  on  the  part  of 
the  Council  to  the  arrangement.  Indeed,  it  was  en 
tirely  to  their  liking.  None  of  them  was  over  keen 
to  penetrate  the  unknown  with  its  possible  dangers 

186 


POWHATAN  AND  HIS  PEOPLE 

and  each  was  reluctant  to  leave  the  settlement  for 
the  further  reason  that  he  distrusted  his  fellow-mem 
bers  of  the  Council  and  was  jealous  of  them.  As  to 
Smith,  they  had  made  up  their  minds  to  send  him 
back  to  England  a  prisoner,  to  be  tried  on  charges  of 
treason,  conspiracy,  and  almost  anything  else  their 
inventive  minds  could  conceive. 

So  Captain  Newport  and  his  party  proceeded 
slowly  up  the  river  in  their  shallop,  greeted  kindly 
by  the  Indians  in  the  various  villages  along  the  banks 
and  feasted  by  them.  The  travellers  in  their  turn 
bestowed  upon  their  entertainers  presents  of  beads, 
nails,  bottles,  and  other  articles,  trifling  in  themselves 
but  almost  priceless  to  the  savages  who  had  never 
seen  anything  of  the  kind.  At  length  the  party 
arrived  at  a  village  named  Powhatan.  It  was 
located  very  near  the  present  situation  of  Richmond, 
and  perhaps  exactly  where  the  old  home  of  the  Mayo 
family — still  called  "  Powhatan  " — stands.  This 
village  was  governed  by  a  son  of  the  great  Wero- 
wance.  The  capital  of  the  latter  was  at  Werowoco- 
mico,  near  the  mouth  of  the  York  River,  but  he  hap 
pened  to  be  at  Powhatan  at  the  time  of  Newport's 
arrival.  I  say  that  he  happened  to  be  there,  but 
it  is  much  more  likely  that  he  had  been  informed  of 
the  expedition  and  had  gone  overland  to  his  son's 
village  with  the  express  intention  of  meeting  the 
strangers,  about  whom  he  must  have  been  keenly 
curious. 

187 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

Powhatan  was  the  chief  of  all  the  country  within 
a  radius  of  sixty  miles  of  Jamestown,  and  having 
a  population  of  about  eight  thousand,  which  included 
two  thousand  or  more  warriors.  Although  over 
seventy  years  of  age,  he  was  vigorous  in  mind  and 
body.  His  tall,  well-proportioned  frame  was  as 
straight  as  an  arrow.  His  long  gray  hair  flowed 
loose  over  his  shoulders  and  his  stern  and  wrinkled 
countenance  expressed  dignity  and  pride.  The  Eng 
lish  learned  to  know  him  for  a  keen  and  subtle 
schemer,  to  whom  the  common  phrase,  "simple 
savage,"  would  be  altogether  misapplied.  He  was 
sufficiently  sagacious  to  realize  from  the  first  that 
in  the  white  men  he  had  a  superior  race  to  deal  with 
and  he  made  up  his  mind  that  the  most  effective 
weapon  that  he  could  use  against  them  would  be 
treachery. 

On  this  occasion,  he  dissembled  the  feelings  of 
anger  and  fear  that  he  must  have  felt  against  the  in 
truders  and  received  them  with  every  sign  of  amity. 
To  his  people,  who  began  to  murmur  at  their  pres 
ence  and  displayed  an  inclination  to  do  them  harm, 
he  declared : 

"  They  can  do  us  no  injury.  They  desire  no  more 
than  a  little  land  and  will  pay  us  richly  for  it.  It 
is  my  pleasure  that  you  treat  them  kindly." 

In  the  meanwhile,  his  keen  penetrating  glance  was 
taking  in  every  detail  of  his  visitors'  appearance, 
scrutinizing  their  weapons  and  dress,  and  closely 

188 


POWHATAN  AND  HIS  PEOPLE 

examining  their  faces  as  they  spoke,  for  the  settlers 
had  picked  up  a  little  of  the  language. 

When  the  voyagers,  after  being  feasted  and  feted 
at  the  village  of  Powhatan,  continued  their  journey 
up  the  river,  the  "  Emperor,"  as  the  early  writers 
call  him,  furnished  them  with  a  guide,  whose  chief 
duty  doubtless  was  to  act  as  spy  and  report  their 
movements  to  him.  Newport  proceeded  up  the  river 
until  it  became  too  shallow  to  admit  of  further 
progress.  He  then  turned  and  commenced  the 
descent.  He  had  not  gone  many  days'  journey 
when  he  began  to  notice  a  change  in  the  attitude  of 
the  Indians  which  prompted  him  to  hasten  on  to  the 
settlement  with  all  speed.  It  was  well  that  he  did 
so  for  the  settlers  were  in  a  critical  situation. 

We  have  seen  that  Wingfield  altogether  neglected 
to  place  the  colonists  in  a  position  to  defend  them 
selves  from  attack.  During  the  absence  of  the 
exploring  expedition  he  had  so  far  departed  from 
his  foolish  attitude  as  to  permit  Captain  Ken 
dall  to  erect  a  paltry  barricade  of  branches  across 
the  neck  of  the  little  peninsula,  but  this  was  the 
only  measure  of  safety  he  could  be  induced  to 
take.  The  Indians  were  permitted  to  come  and 
go  as  freely  as  ever  and  the  arms  were  left  in  the 
packing  cases.  Of  course  it  was  only  a  matter  of 
time  when  the  Indians  would  take  advantage  of 
such  a  constantly  tempting  opportunity  to  attack 
the  newcomers. 

189 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

One  day,  without  the  slightest  warning,  four  hun 
dred  savages  rushed  upon  the  settlement  with  their 
blood-curdling  war-whoop.  The  colonists  were 
utterly  unprepared  and  most  of  them  unarmed. 
Seventeen  fell  at  the  first  assault.  Fortunately  the 
gentlemen  habitually  wore  swords,  these  being  part 
of  the  every-day  dress  of  the  time,  and  many  of 
them  had  pistols  in  their  belts.  They  quickly  threw 
themselves  between  the  unarmed  settlers  and  the 
Indians  and  checked  the  latter  with  the  fire  of  their 
pistols.  Wingfield,  who  though  a  fool  was  no  cow 
ard,  headed  his  people  and  narrowly  escaped  death, 
an  arrow  cleaving  his  beard.  Four  other  members 
of  the  Council  were  among  the  wounded,  so  that 
only  one  of  them  escaped  untouched. 

The  gallant  stand  made  by  the  gentlemen  ad 
venturers  only  checked  the  Indians  for  a  moment, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  every  man  of  the  defend 
ers  must  have  been  slain  had  not  the  ships  created  a 
diversion  by  opening  fire  with  their  big  guns.  Even 
this  assistance  effected  but  temporary  relief,  for 
the  Indians  would  have  renewed  the  attack  at 
nightfall,  with  complete  success  in  all  probability, 
but  the  appearance  of  Newport  at  this  juncture  with 
his  twenty  picked  and  fully  armed  men  put  a  dif 
ferent  complexion  on  affairs.  The  reinforcement 
sallied  against  the  attacking  savages  and  drove  them 
to  retreat. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  all  hands  were 
190 


POWHATAN  AND  HIS  PEOPLE 

now  engaged  with  feverish  zeal  in  erecting  a  fort 
and  stockade.  Some  demi-culverins  were  carried 
ashore  from  the  ships  and  mounted.  The  arms  were 
uncased  and  distributed  and  certain  men  were  daily 
drilled  in  military  exercises,  whilst  a  constant  guard 
was  maintained  throughout  the  day  and  night. 
From  this  time  the  intercourse  between  the  whites 
and  Indians  was  marked  on  both  sides  by  caution 
and  suspicion. 

When  the  defences  had  been  completed,  Captain 
Newport  made  preparations  for  an  immediate  depar 
ture  and  then  the  Council  informed  Smith  that  he 
was  to  be  returned  to  England  a  prisoner  for  trial. 
Fortunately  for  the  future  of  the  colony,  our  hero 
rebelled  against  such  an  unjust  proceeding,  saying, 
with  reason,  that  since  all  persons  cognizant  of  the 
facts  were  on  the  spot,  it  was  on  the  spot  that  he 
should  be  tried,  if  anywhere.  His  contention  was 
so  just,  and  the  sentiment  in  his  favor  so  strong, 
that  the  Council  was  obliged  to  accede  to  his  demand. 
He  protested  against  a  moment's  delay,  declaring 
that,  if  found  guilty  by  a  jury  of  his  peers,  he  would 
willingly  return  to  England  in  chains  with  Captain 
Newport  and  take  the  consequences. 

The  trial  resulted  in  a  triumphant  acquittal. 
There  was  not  one  iota  of  real  evidence  adduced 
against  the  prisoner.  Wingfield  and  others  had 
nothing  but  their  bare  suspicions  to  bring  forward. 
It  did  transpire,  however,  in  the  course  of  the  pro- 

191 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

ceedings  that  the  President  had  not  only  been  moved 
by  malice  but  that  he  had  endeavored  to  induce  cer 
tain  persons  to  give  false  evidence  against  his  enemy. 
On  the  strength  of  these  revelations,  the  jury  not 
only  acquitted  Captain  Smith  but  sentenced  the 
President  to  pay  him  two  hundred  pounds  in  dam 
ages,  which  sum,  or  its  equivalent,  for  it  was  paid 
in  goods,  our  hero  promptly  turned  into  the  common 
fund. 

Smith  accepted  his  acquittal  with  the  same  calm 
indifference  that  had  characterized  his  behavior  since 
his  arrest  and  showed  a  readiness  to  forget  past  dif 
ferences  and  encourage  harmony  among  the  leaders. 
Mr.  Hunt  also  strove  to  produce  peace  and  good 
will  in  the  settlement  but  the  efforts  were  useless. 
When  Newport  left  them  in  June,  the  colony  was 
divided  into  two  factions,  the  supporters  of  Wing- 
field  and  those  of  Smith,  who  was  now  of  course 
free  of  his  seat  at  the  Council  board.  And  so  it  re 
mained  to  the  end  of  our  story — jealousy,  meanness, 
incompetence  and  even  treachery,  hazarding  the  lives 
and  the  fortunes  of  the  little  band  of  pioneers  who 
should  have  been  knit  together  by  common  interests 
and  common  dangers. 


192 


XV. 

TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 


THE  COLONISTS   EXPERIENCE   HARD  TIMES   AND   A   TOUCH  OF 
STARVATION — FEVER  SEIZES  THE  SETTLEMENT  AND  ONE-HALF 

THE  SETTLERS  DIE — THE  ENTIRE  CHARGE  OF  AFFAIRS  DEVOLVES 

UPON  CAPTAIN  SMITH — PRESIDENT  WINGFIELD  is  DEPOSED 
AND  RATCLIFFE  APPOINTED  IN  HIS  PLACE — SMITH  LEADS  AN 
EXPEDITION  IN  SEARCH  OF  CORN — RETURNS  TO  FIND  TROUBLE 
AT  JAMESTOWN — THE  BLACKSMITH  TO  BE  HANGED  FOR 

TREASON — AT    THE    FOOT    OF    THE    GALLOWS    HE    DIVULGES    A 

SPANISH    PLOT — CAPTAIN    KENDALL,    A    COUNCILMAN,    is 

INVOLVED — His  GUILT  IS  ESTABLISHED — HE  SEIZES  THE  PIN 
NACE  AND  ATTEMPTS  TO  SAIL  AWAY — SMITH  TRAINS  A 
CANNON  UPON  THE  BOAT  AND  FORCES  THE  TRAITOR  TO  LAND 
— HE  IS  HANGED. 

JUST  before  the  departure  of  Captain  Newport 
with  the  two  larger  ships — the  pinnace,  Discovery, 
was  left  for  the  use  of  the  colonists — Mr.  Hunt  had 
administered  the  communion  to  the  company  in  the 
hope  that  the  joint  participation  in  the  holy  sacra 
ment  might  create  a  bond  of  amity  between  them. 
On  that  occasion  Captain  Smith  had  modestly  ad 
dressed  the  assembled  settlers,  urging1  them  to  forget 
past  disagreement,  as  he  was  ready  to  do,  and 
address  themselves  energetically  to  the  important 
business  of  the  community. 

13  J93 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

"  You  that  of  your  own  accord  have  hazarded 
your  lives  and  estates  in  this  adventure,  having  your 
country's  profit  and  renown  at  heart,"  he  said  with 
earnestness,  "  banish  from  among  you  cowardice, 
covetousness,  jealousies,  and  idleness.  These  be 
enemies  to  the  raising  your  honors  and  fortunes  and 
put  in  danger  your  very  lives,  for  if  dissension  pre 
vail  among  us,  surely  we  shall  become  too  weak  to 
withstand  the  Indians.  For  myself,  I  ever  intend 
my  actions  shall  be  upright  and  regulated  by  justice. 
It  hath  been  and  ever  shall  be  my  care  to  give  every 
man  his  due." 

The  plain,  frank  speech  moved  his  hearers,  but  in 
the  evil  times  that  quickly  fell  upon  them  good  coun 
sel  was  forgotten  and  strife  and  ill-nature  resumed 
their  sway. 

The  colonists  had  arrived  too  late  in  the  year  to 
plant  and  they  soon  began  to  experience  a  shortage 
of  provisions.  The  grain  which  had  lain  six  months 
in  the  holds  of  leaky  vessels  was  wormy  and  sodden, 
unfit  for  horses  and  scarcely  eatable  by  men. 
Nevertheless,  for  weeks  after  Newport  left,  a  small 
allowance  of  this  formed  the  principal  diet  of  the 
unfortunate  settlers.  The  woods  abounded  in  game, 
it  is  true,  but  they  were  yet  unskilled  in  hunting  and 
dared  not  venture  far  from  their  palisades,  whilst 
the  unaccustomed  sounds  of  axe  and  hammer  had 
driven  every  beast  and  most  of  the  birds  from  the 
neighborhood.  They  must  have  starved  but  for 

194 


TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 

the  sturgeon  that  they  secured  from  the  river.  On 
these  they  dined  with  so  little  variation  that  their 
stomachs  at  last  rebelled  at  the  very  sight  of  them. 
One  of  this  miserable  company,  describing  their  con 
dition,  says  with  melancholy  humor :  "  Our  drink 
was  water;  our  lodgings  castles  in  the  air." 

But  lack  of  food  was  only  one  of  the  hardships 
which  befell  the  poor  wretches.  There  were  but  few 
dwellings  yet  constructed,  and  being  forced  to  lie 
upon  the  low  damp  ground,  malarial  fever  and 
typhoid  broke  out  among  them  and  spread  with  such 
fearful  rapidity  that  not  one  of  them  escaped  sick 
ness.  Hardly  a  day  passed  but  one  at  least  of  their 
number  found  a  happy  release  from  his  sufferings  in 
death.  Fifty  in  all — just  half  of  them — died  be 
tween  June  and  September.  The  unaccustomed 
heat  aided  in  prostrating  them,  so  that  at  one  time 
there  were  scarce  ten  men  able  to  stand  upon  their 
feet.  And  all  this  time  the  Indians  kept  up  a  desul 
tory  warfare  and  only  refrained  from  a  determined 
attack  upon  the  settlement  for  fear  of  the  firearms. 
Had  they  assaulted  the  stockade,  instead  of  con 
tenting  themselves  with  shooting  arrows  into  it  from 
a  distance,  the  colonists  could  have  made  no  effective 
defence  against  them. 

Shortly,  the  whole  weight  of  authority  and  the 
entire  charge  of  the  safety  of  the  settlement  fell  upon 
Captain  Smith.  He  was  sick  like  the  rest,  but  kept 
his  feet  by  sheer  strength  of  will,  knowing  that 

195 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

otherwise  they  would  all  fall  victims  to  the  savages 
in  short  order.  Gosnold  was  under  the  sod.  Wing- 
field,  Martin  and  Ratcliffe  were  on  the  verge  of 
death.  Kendall  was  sick  and,  moreover,  had  been 
deposed  from  his  place  in  the  Council.  In  fact,  all 
the  chief  men  of  the  colony  were  incapacitated,  "  the 
rest  being  in  such  despair  that  they  would  rather 
starve  and  rot  with  idleness  than  be  persuaded  to  do 
anything  for  their  own  relief  without  constraint." 
In  this  strait  the  courage  and  resolution  of  one  man 
saved  them  as  happened  repeatedly  afterward.  He 
nursed  the  sick,  distributed  the  stores,  stood  guard 
day  and  night,  coaxed  and  threatened  the  least  weak 
into  exerting  themselves,  cunningly  hid  their  real 
condition  from  the  Indians,  and,  by  the  exercise  of 
every  available  resource,  tided  over  the  terrible 
months  of  July  and  August. 

Early  in  September,  Wingfield  was  deposed  from 
the  presidency.  His  manifest  incompetency  had 
long  been  the  occasion  of  discontent  which  was 
fanned  to  fever  heat  when  the  starving  settlers  dis 
covered  that  the  leader,  who  was  too  fine  a  gentle 
man  to  eat  from  the  common  kettle,  had  been  divert 
ing  the  best  of  the  supplies  from  the  public  store  to 
his  private  larder.  The  climax  which  brought  about 
his  downfall,  however,  was  reached  when  it  trans 
pired  that  the  President  had  made  arrangements  to 
steal  away  in  the  pinnace  and  return  to  England, 
leaving  the  settlement  in  the  lurch.  Ratcliffe  was 

196 


TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 

elected  to  fill  his  place.  He  was  a  man  of  no  greater 
capacity  than  his  predecessor,  but  it  happened  that 
conditions  improved  at  about  this  time  and  the  undis- 
cerning  colonists  were  willing  to  give  him  credit  for 
the  change. 

Early  fall  brings  ripening  fruit  and  vegetables 
in  the  South.  The  Indians,  who  fortunately  had  no 
idea  of  the  extremity  to  which  the  colony  had  been 
reduced,  began  to  carry  corn  and  other  truck  to  the 
fort,  glad  to  trade  for  beads,  little  iron  chisels  or 
other  trifles.  Wild  fowl  came  into  the  river  in  large 
numbers  and,  with  these  welcome  additions  to  their 
hitherto  scanty  diet,  the  sick  soon  began  to  recover 
health  and  strength.  Smith,  so  soon  as  he  could 
muster  a  boat's  crew,  made  an  excursion  up  the 
river  and  returned  with  some  thirty  bushels  of  corn 
to  famine-stricken  Jamestown.  Having  secured 
ample  supplies  for  immediate  needs,  our  hero,  who 
was  by  .this  time  generally  recognized  as  the  actual 
leader  of  the  colony,  put  as  many  men  as  possible  to 
work  building  houses  and  succeeded  so  far  as  to 
provide  a  comfortable  dwelling  for  every  one  but 
himself. 

Our  adventurers,  convalescent  for  the  most  part, 
now  experienced  a  Virginia  autumn  in  all  its  glory. 
The  days  were  cloudless  and  cool.  The  foliage  took 
on  magic  hues  and  presented  patterns  marvellously 
beautiful  as  an  oriental  fabric.  The  air,  stimulating 
as  strong  wine,  drove  the  ague  from  the  system  and 

197 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

cleared  the  brain.  The  fruits  of  the  field  stood  ripe 
and  inviting  whilst  nuts  hung  in  profusion  from  the 
boughs  of  trees  amongst  which  fat  squirrels  and 
opossums  sported.  Turkeys  with  their  numerous 
broods  wandered  through  the  woods  whilst  par 
tridges  and  quail  abounded  in  the  undergrowth. 
Where  starvation  had  stared  them  in  the  face  the 
colonists  now  saw  plenty  on  every  hand  and,  with 
the  appetites  of  men  turning  their  backs  upon  fever- 
beds,  ate  to  repletion.  With  the  removal  of  their 
sufferings,  they  dismissed  the  experience  from  their 
minds  and  gave  no  heed  to  the  latent  lesson  in  it. 
Not  so  Captain  Smith,  however.  He  realized  the 
necessity  of  providing  a  store  of  food  against  the 
approach  of  winter,  without  relying  upon  the  return 
of  Newport  with  a  supply  ship. 

The  Council  readily  agreed  to  the  proposed  ex 
pedition  in  search  of  provisions,  but  it  was  not  in 
their  mind  to  give  the  command  to  Captain  Smith. 
Far  from  being  grateful  to  the  man  who  had  saved 
the  settlement  in  the  time  of  its  dire  distress  and 
helplessness,  they  were  more  than  ever  jealous  of  his 
growing  influence  with  the  colonists.  None  of  them 
was  willing  to  brave  the  dangers  and  hardships  of 
the  expedition  himself  nor  did  they  dare,  in  the  face 
of  Smith's  popularity,  to  appoint  another  to  the 
command.  In  this  difficulty  they  pretended  a  desire 
to  be  fair  to  the  other  gentlemen  adventurers  by  put 
ting  a  number  of  their  names  into  a  lottery  from 

198 


TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 

which  the  commander  should  be  drawn.  The  hope 
was  that  by  this  means  some  other  might  be  set  up 
as  a  sort  of  competitor  to  Smith.  There  were  those 
among  the  gentlemen  who  penetrated  this  design 
and  had  sufficient  sense  to  circumvent  it.  George 
Percy,  a  brother  of  the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  and 
Scrivener,  were  among  our  hero's  staunch  adherents. 
Percy  contrived  that  he  should  draw  the  lot  from 
the  hat  that  contained  the  names.  The  first  papec 
that  he  drew  bore  upon  it  the  words :  "  The  Honor 
able  George  Percy."  Without  a  moment's  hesita 
tion  he  showed  it  to  Scrivener,  as  though  for  confir 
mation,  and  crumpling  it  in  his  hand,  cried : 

"  Captain  John  Smith  draws  the  command,"  and 
the  announcement  was  received  with  a  shout  of 
approval. 

"  Thou  hast  foregone  an  honor  and  the  prospect 
of  more,"  said  Scrivener,  as  they  walked  away 
together. 

"  Good  Master  Scrivener,"  replied  the  young 
nobleman,  with  a  quizzical  smile,  "  one  needs  must 
have  a  head  to  carry  honors  gracefully  and  I  am  fain 
to  confess  that  I  deem  this  poor  caput  of  mine  safer 
in  the  keeping  of  our  doughty  captain  than  in  mine 
own." 

It  was  early  in  November  when  Smith,  taking  the 
barge  and  seven  men,  started  up  the  Chickahominy. 
The  warriors  were  absent  from  the  first  village  he 
visited  and  the  women  and  children  fled  at  the 

199 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

approach  of  his  party.  Here  he  found  the  store 
houses  filled  with  corn,  but  there  was  no  one  to  trade 
and,  as  he  says,  he  had  neither  inclination  nor  com 
mission  to  loot,  and  so  he  turned  his  back  upon  the 
place  and  came  away  empty-handed.  Now,  if  we 
consider  the  impression  that  must  have  been  made 
upon  those  Indians  by  this  incident,  we  must  the 
moVe  keenly  regret  that  so  few  others  were  moved 
by  similar  principles  of  wisdom  and  honesty  in  their 
dealings  with  the  savages.  In  his  treatment  of  the 
Indian  down  to  the  present  day  the  white  man 
appears  in  a  very  poor  light,  and  most  of  the  troubles 
between  the  two  races  have  been  due  to  the  greed 
and  injustice  of  the  latter.  John  Smith  set  an 
example  to  later  colonists  which,  had  they  followed 
it,  would  have  saved  them  much  bloodshed  and 
difficulty. 

Proceeding  along  the  narrow  river,  the  expedition 
arrived  at  other  villages  where  the  conditions  better 
favored  their  purpose.  The  Indians  seem  to  have 
gained  some  inkling  of  the  impoverished  state  of  the 
Jamestown  store,  for  at  first  they  tendered  but  paltry 
quantities  of  grain  for  the  trinkets  which  Smith 
offered  to  exchange.  But  they  had  to  deal  with  one 
who  was  no  less  shrewd  than  themselves.  The  Cap 
tain  promptly  turned  on  his  heel  and  marched  off 
towards  his  boat.  This  independent  action  brought 
the  redskins  crowding  after  him  with  all  the  corn 
that  they  could  carry  and  ready  to  trade  on  any 

200 


TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 

terms.  In  order  to  allay  their  suspicions  as  to 
his  need,  Smith  declined  to  accept  more  than  a  mod 
erate  quantity  from  any  one  band,  but  by  visiting 
many,  contrived  without  difficulty  to  fill  the  barge 
and,  as  he  says,  might  have  loaded  the  pinnace 
besides  if  it  had  been  with  him. 

We  will  now  leave  Captain  Smith  and  his  party 
bringing  their  boat  down  the  river  towards  home 
and  see  what  is  going  on  at  Jamestown  in  the  mean 
while.  We  shall  find  throughout  our  story  that  the 
master  spirit  of  the  colony  never  leaves  the  settle 
ment  but  that  some  trouble  breaks  out  in  his 
absence.  This  occasion  was  no  exception  to  the 
rule.  One  day,  shortly  before  the  return  of  the 
expedition,  Ratcliffe,  the  President,  fell  into  an  alter 
cation  with  the  blacksmith,  and  in  the  heat  of  passion 
struck  the  man.  The  blow  was  returned,  as  one 
thinks  it  should  have  been,  but  in  those  days  the 
distinction  between  classes  was  much  more  marked 
than  in  these  and  the  unfortunate  artisan  was  imme 
diately  clapped  in  jail. 

To  have  struck  a  gentleman  was  bad  enough,  but 
the  hot-headed  north-country  blacksmith  had  raised 
his  hand  against  the  representative  of  the  sacred  maj 
esty  of  the  King  and  that  constituted  high  treason. 
A  jury  of  his  fellows  found  him  guilty  and  he  was 
sentenced  to  be  hanged  without  delay.  A  gallows 
was  quickly  erected  and  the  brawny  blacksmith,  after 
receiving  the  ministrations  of  Mr.  Hunt,  was  bidden 

201 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 


to  mount.  But  the  condemned  man  craved  the  usual 
privilege  of  making  a  dying  speech,  and  the  request 
was  granted.  To  the  consternation  of  the  assembled 
colonists  he  declared  that  he  was  in  possession  of  a 
plot  to  betray  the  settlement  to  the  Spaniards,  and 
offered  to  divulge  the  details  on  condition  that  his 
life  should  be  spared.  This  was  granted.  Indeed, 
it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  the  colonists  could 
have  entertained  the  design  to  hang  almost  the  most 
useful  man  among  them. 

In  order  to  appreciate  the  blacksmith's  revelation, 
we  should  understand  that  although  Spain  had  some 
years  previously  entered  into  a  treaty  of  peace  with 
England,  she  remained  keenly  jealous  of  the  grow 
ing  power  of  the  latter  nation  and  never  ceased  to 
employ  underhand  methods  to  check  it.  Spanish 
spies  were  numerous  in  England  and  were  to  be 
found  among  all  classes,  for  some  of  the  Catholic 
nobility  were  not  above  allowing  their  religious  zeal 
to  outrun  their  sense  of  patriotism.  In  particular 
was  Spain  concerned  about  the  new  ardor  for  Ameri 
can  colonization,  of  which  one  of  the  earliest  mani 
festations  was  the  settlement  at  Jamestown,  and  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  she  had  sent  several  of  her 
secret  agents  out  with  the  expedition  from  England. 
However  that  may  be,  Captain  Kendall,  erstwhile 
member  of  Council,  was  the  only  one  accused  by  the 
reprieved  man.  A.  search  of  the  traitor's  quarters 
disclosed  papers  that  left  no  doubt  as  to  his  guilt. 

202 


TREASON  AND  TREACHERY 

The  searching  party  had  just  returned  to  the 
Council  room  with  the  incriminating  documents 
when  Captain  Smith  landed  his  party  and  entered  the 
fort  to  find  the  settlement  in  the  greatest  state  of 
excitement.  He  at  once  joined  the  Council  and  was 
in  deliberation  with  the  other  members  when  a  man 
burst  in  upon  them  shouting: 

"  Captain  Kendall  hath  seized  the  pinnace  and  is 
about  sailing  away  in  her." 

The  Councilmen  rushed  from  the  chamber  without 
ceremony  and  made  towards  the  shore.  There,  sure 
enough,  was  the  pinnace  in  mid-stream  and  Captain 
Kendall  hoisting  her  sail  to  catch  a  stiff  breeze  which 
was  blowing  out  of  the  river.  The  spectators  stood 
open-mouthed  in  speechless  dismay,  or  bewailed  the 
escape  that  they  seemed  to  consider  accomplished. 
That  was  not  the  view  of  Captain  Smith.  He  took 
in  the  situation  at  a  glance  and  as  quickly  decided 
upon  counteraction.  Running  back  to  the  fort  he 
had  a  gun  trained  on  the  pinnace  in  a  trice  and 
shouted  to  its  occupant  to  come  ashore  or  stay  and 
sink  and  to  make  his  decision  instanter.  One  look 
at  the  determined  face  peering  over  the  touch-hole 
of  the  cannon  sufficed  the  spy.  He  brought  the  boat 
ashore  and  within  the  hour  was  shot 


203 


XVI. 

CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 


PEACE  AND  PLENTY  AT  THE  SETTLEMENT — SMITH  SETS  OUT  TO 

DISCOVER  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE  CHICKAHOMINY — HE  FALLS 
INTO  AN  AMBUSH  AND  HAS  A  RUNNING  FIGHT  WITH  TWO 
HUNDRED  WARRIORS — WALKS  INTO  A  SWAMP  AND  IS  FORCED 
TO  SURRENDER — OPECHANCANOUGH  THE  CHIEF  OF  THE 

PAMAUNKES — SMITH  is  PUT  TO  A  TEST  OF  COURAGE — HE 

FIGURES  IN  A  TRIUMPHAL  PROCESSION — HAS  SUSPICIONS 
THAT  HE  IS  BEING  FATTENED  FOR  THE  TABLE — HE  SENDS  A 
TIMELY  WARNING  TO  JAMESTOWN  AND  DIVERTS  A  PROJECTED 
ATTACK  BY  THE  INDIANS — SMITH  IS  DEALT  WITH  BY  THE 
MEDICINE  MEN — A  STRANGE,  WILD  CEREMONY  ENACTED  BY 
HIDEOUSLY  PAINTED  AND  BEDECKED  CREATURES. 

THE  close  of  the  year  1607  found  the  settlement 
in  good  circumstances.  The  store  was  well  stocked 
with  maize,  peas  and  beans,  smoked  venison  and  fish, 
dried  fruits  and  nuts.  Warm  coats  and  coverings 
had  been  made  from  fur  and  feathers  and  a  large 
quantity  of  wood  had  been  cut  and  stacked  for  fuel. 
There  did  not  appear  to  be  any  danger  of  hardship 
in  Jamestown  during  the  ensuing  winter,  although 
such  a  careless  and  incompetent  lot  as  our  settlers 
were  apt  to  create  trouble  for  themselves  out  of  the 
most  favorable  conditions.  There  were  only  three 
persons  in  authority — Ratcliffe,  Martin  and  Smith. 

204 


CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 

The  first  was  a  man  of  mean  ability  and  doubtful 
integrity.  Martin,  honest  and  well-meaning,  was 
a  constant  invalid  and  incapable  of  any  degree  of 
activity.  Smith  was  by  this  time  recognized  by  all 
as  the  true  leader  of  the  colony  and  the  only  man 
in  it  who  could  secure  obedience  and  maintain  dis 
cipline.  When  he  was  in  Jamestown,  order  pre 
vailed  and  work  progressed.  When  he  left,  the 
settlers  scarcely  pretended  to  heed  the  orders  of  the 
other  members  of  the  Council.  Indeed,  Percy  and 
Scrivener,  who  were  known  to  be  in  full  accord  with 
Smith,  had  greater  influence  with  the  rank  and  file 
than  Ratcliffe  or  Martin.  In  fact  the  north-country 
nobleman  and  the  Londoner  played  the  part  of  faith 
ful  watchdogs  during  the  Captain's  absence,  and  it 
was  arranged  that  one  at  least  of  them  should  always 
remain  at  Jamestown  when  Smith  went  abroad. 

As  we  know,  inaction  was  positively  abhorrent  to 
our  hero  and,  the  settlement  being  now  thoroughly 
quiet  and  quite  prepared  for  the  winter,  he  deter 
mined  on  an  expedition  designed  to  trace  the  Chicka- 
hominy  to  its  source.  Exploration  was  one  of  the 
chief  duties  of  the  colonists  and  Smith,  as  he  tells 
us,  hoped  that  he  might  soon  discover  "  some  matters 
of  worth  to  encourage  adventurers  in  England." 
The  Indians  along  the  river  had  been  so  friendly 
during  his  foraging  trip  the  month  before  that  he 
felt  safe  in  making  the  present  journey,  but  his 
military  training  and  natural  prudence  would  not 

205 


permit  him  to  relax  his  usual  precautions.  But  there 
was  one  important  feature  of  Indian  tactics  with 
which  the  American  colonists  had  not  become 
familiar.  They  had  yet  to  learn  how  large  bodies 
of  redskins  would  watch  a  settlement,  or  track  a 
party  on  the  move,  for  days  and  weeks  without 
allowing  their  presence  to  be  known.  Ever  since 
their  landing,  the  settlers  had  been  under  the  sleep 
less  eye  of  spies  lying  hidden  in  grass  or  behind  trees, 
and  from  the  moment  Captain  Smith  left  Jamestown 
his  progress  had  been  flanked  by  a  body  of  savages 
moving  stealthily  through  the  woods. 

The  barge  proceeded  fifty  miles  up  the  river  with 
out  incident,  but  presently  the  stream  became  too 
shallow  to  admit  of  its  going  farther.  A  canoe  was 
secured  from  a  village  in  the  vicinity,  with  two  In 
dians  to  paddle  it.  In  this  Smith  decided  to  push  on 
to  the  head  of  the  river,  taking  with  him  two  of  his 
men.  The  remainder  he  left  in  the  barge,  instruct 
ing  them  not  to  go  on  shore  and  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  until  his  return.  Twenty  miles  onward  the 
canoe  travelled  when  an  obstruction  of  fallen  trees 
brought  the  party  to  a  halt.  It  seemed  probable 
that  the  source  of  the  stream  could  be  but  a  few  miles 
beyond  and  Smith  determined  to  seek  it  on  foot 
accompanied  by  one  of  the  Indians.  The  other  and 
the  two  Englishmen  he  left  in  the  canoe,  cautioning 
them  to  keep  their  matches  burning,  and  at  the  first 
sign  of  danger  to  fire  an  alarm. 

206 


THE  SETTLERS   HAD   BEEN  UNDER  THE  SLEEPLESS  EYE  OF  SPIES  LYING 
HIDDEN 


CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 

Smith  had  hardly  gone  a  mile  through  the  forest 
when  he  was  suddenly  startled  by  a  shrill  war-whoop. 
He  could  see  no  one  and  he  had  not  been  warned  of 
danger  by  his  men  as  agreed.  He  concluded,  there 
fore,  that  they  had  been  surprised  and  killed  with 
the  connivance  of  the  guide.  Even  as  the  thought 
flashed  through  his  mind  he  grappled  with  the  Indian 
beside  him  and  wrenched  the  bow  from  his  grasp. 
It  was  done  in  an  instant,  and  as  quickly  he  bound 
an  arm  of  the  savage  to  his  own  with  one  of  his 
garters.  He  had  not  completed  the  act  when  an 
arrow  half  spent  struck  him  on  the  thigh  and  a 
moment  later  he  discerned  two  dusky  figures  draw 
ing  their  bows  upon  him.  These  disappeared  at  the 
discharge  of  his  pistol,  and  he  was  congratulating 
himself  on  having  routed  them  so  easily  when  two 
hundred  warriors,  hideous  in  paint  and  feathers,  rose 
from  the  ground  in  front  of  him.  At  their  head  was 
Opechancanough,  the  chief  of  the  Pamaunkes. 

The  situation  would  have  suggested  surrender  to 
the  ordinary  man.  There  could  be  no  use  in  Smith's 
contending  against  such  numbers  and  to  retreat  to 
the  river  would  be  no  less  futile,  since  his  men 
in  the  canoe  must  have  been  captured.  It  was  not, 
however,  in  our  hero's  nature  to  give  up  until  abso 
lutely  obliged  to  do  so.  He  could  see  no  possibility 
of  escape  but  he  proposed  to  make  it  as  difficult  as 
possible  for  the  savages  to  capture  him.  With  this 
thought  he  placed  the  guide  before  him  as  a  shield 

207 


and  prepared,  with  a  pistol  in  each  hand,  to  meet  an 
onrush  of  the  warriors.  But  they  had  no  mind  to 
rush  upon  those  fearful  fire-spitting  machines  and 
kept  off,  discharging  their  arrows  from  a  distance 
that  rendered  them  harmless.  Seeing  this,  Smith 
began  to  retire,  keeping  his  face  towards  the  enemy 
and  holding  his  human  buckler  in  place.  The  In 
dians  responded  to  this  movement  by  cautiously  ad 
vancing  and  at  the  same  time  they  sought  to  induce 
the  Englishman  to  lay  down  his  arms,  promising 
to  spare  his  life  in  case  he  should  do  so.  Smith  posi 
tively  declined  the  proposition,  insisting  that  he 
would  retain  his  weapons  but  promising  not  to  make 
further  use  of  them  if  he  should  be  permitted  to 
depart  in  peace;  otherwise  he  would  use  them  and 
kill  some  of  his  assailants  without  delay.  The  In 
dians  continuing  to  advance  upon  him,  Smith  let 
go  both  his  pistols  at  them  and  took  advantage  of 
the  hesitation  that  followed  to  retreat  more  rapidly. 
Of  course  this  combat  was  of  the  most  hopeless 
character  and  our  hero  must  ultimately  have  been 
shot  to  death  had  not  an  accident  suddenly  put  an 
end  to  his  opposition.  Still  stepping  backward  and 
dragging  his  captive  with  him  he  presently  walks 
into  a  deep  morass  and  reaches  the  end  of  his  jour 
ney  in  more  than  one  sense,  for  it  is  in  this  swamp 
that  the  Chickahominy  rises  and  he  has  fulfilled  his 
undertaking  to  find  the  head  of  the  river.  It  was  at 
once  clear  to  the  dauntless  explorer  that  he  must 

208 


CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 

yield,  and  that  quickly,  for  he  and  his  Indian  were 
fast  sinking  in  the  icy  ooze  of  the  bog.  He  threw 
his  pistols  away  in  token  of  surrender  and  his  savage 
adversaries  rushed  up  and  extricated  him  from  his 
perilous  situation. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  curiosity  and  interest  on 
either  side  that  Captain  John  Smith,  the  leader  of 
the  colonists,  and  Opechancanough,  the  chief  of  the 
Pamaunkes,  confronted  each  other.  Both  men  of 
noble  bearing  and  fearless  character,  they  must  have 
been  mutually  impressed  at  the  first  encounter.  The 
chief's  erect  and  well-knit  frame  towered  above  the 
forms  of  his  attendant  warriors  and,  together  with 
the  dignity  and  intelligence  of  his  countenance, 
marked  him  as  a  superior  being.  In  later  years  he 
played  an  important  part  in  colonial  history  and  met 
a  shameful  death  by  assassination  whilst  a  captive 
in  the  hands  of  the  authorities  of  Virginia. 

Smith,  whose  presence  of  mind  never  deserted 
him,  immediately  addressed  himself  to  the  task 
of  diverting  the  chieftain's  mind  from  the  recent  un 
pleasant  circumstances  and  with  that  end  in  view 
produced  his  pocket  compass  and  presented  it  to  the 
savage.  The  Pamaunke  was  readily  attracted  by 
the  mystery  of  the  twinkling  needle  which  lay  in 
sight  but  beyond  touch,  and  when  our  hero  showed 
how  it  pointed  persistently  to  the  north,  the  wonder 
of  the  savage  increased.  Having  thus  excited  the 
interest  of  his  captors,  Smith  went  on  to  hold  their 
14  209 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

attention  with  a  more  detailed  explanation  of  the 
uses  of  the  instrument.  He  described,  in  simple 
language  and  with  the  aid  of  signs,  the  shape  and 
movement  of  the  earth  and  the  relative  positions  of 
sun,  moon  and  stars.  This  strange  astronomical 
lecture,  delivered  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  at  length 
wearied  the  auditors  and  they  prepared  to  set  out  on 
the  return  journey,  for  they  had  no  thought  of 
killing  the  captive  at  that  time.  He  was  a  man  of 
too  much  importance  to  be  slain  off-hand  and  with 
out  learning  the  pleasure  of  the  great  Powhatan  in 
the  matter.  They  did,  however,  tie  him  to  a  tree 
and  make  a  pretence  of  drawing  their  bows  upon  him 
but,  as  the  paleface  met  the  threatened  death  without 
so  much  as  blinking,  the  savages  derived  little  satis 
faction  from  the  amusement.  Before  taking  the 
march,  Smith  was  given  food  and  led  to  a  fire,  be< 
side  which  lay  the  body  of  Emery,  one  of  the  men 
he  had  left  in  the  canoe,  stuck  full  of  arrows. 

The  return  of  Opechancanough  to  the  settlement 
of  the  Pamaunkes  was  in  the  nature  of  a  triumphal 
procession.  As  the  band  approached  a  village  they 
gave  vent  to  their  piercing  war-whoop  and  entered  it 
chanting  their  song  of  victory.  In  the  midst  of  the 
procession  walked  the  Chief  with  Smith's  weapons 
borne  before  him  and  the  captive,  guarded  by  eight 
picked  warriors,  following.  A  ceremonial  dance 
took  place  before  the  party  dispersed  to  their  various 
lodgings  for  the  night.  The  captive  was  well 

210 


CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 

treated  and  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  study 
the  natives  and  their  habits,  for  Opechancanough 
carried  his  prize  on  a  circuit  of  many  villages  before 
finally  bringing  him  to  the  capital  of  Powhatan. 
Nor  did  the  peril  of  his  situation  prevent  our  hero 
from  exercising  his  usual  keen  powers  of  observa 
tion,  for  he  has  left  us  a  minute  account  of  his 
strange  experiences  during  these  weeks  of  captive 
wandering. 

Every  morning  bread  and  venison  were  brought 
to  the  Englishman  in  sufficient  quantity  to  have  satis 
fied  ten  men.  His  captors  never  by  any  chance  ate 
with  him  and,  remembering  the  reluctance  of  East 
ern  peoples  to  partake  of  food  with  those  whom  they 
designed  to  harm,  this  fact  excited  his  apprehensions. 
These  Indians  were  not  cannibals  but  he  had  not 
that  consoling  knowledge,  and  the  insistent  manner 
in  which  they  pressed  meat  upon  him  raised  a  dis 
agreeable  suspicion  that  they  were  fattening  him  for 
the  table.  The  thought  of  death — even  with  tor 
ture — he  could  endure  calmly,  but  the  idea  of  being 
eaten  afterwards  caused  him  to  shudder  with  horror. 
We  can  not  help  thinking,  however,  that  the  sinewy 
captain  might  have  visited  his  enemies  with  a  post 
humous  revenge  had  they  recklessly  subjected  him 
to  such  a  fate  and  themselves  to  such  grave  hazard 
of  acute  indigestion. 

But  the  captive's  concern  for  the  settlement  at 
Jamestown  outweighed  all  other  considerations.  He 

211 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

surmised  with  reason,  that  having  him  in  their 
power,  the  Indians  would  endeavor  to  overcome  the 
colonists,  whose  natural  incapacity  to  take  care  of 
themselves  would  be  enhanced  by  the  belief  that 
their  leader  was  dead.  He  was  racking  his  brain 
to  devise  some  means  of  communicating  with  them, 
when  chance  threw  an  opportunity  to  him.  It  seems 
that  in  the  encounter  preceding  his  surrender  to 
Opechancanough  Smith  had  seriously  wounded  one 
of  the  Indians.  He  was  now  called  upon  to  cure  his 
victim  and  replied  that  he  might  be  able  to  do  so  if 
in  possession  of  certain  medicine  which  could  be 
obtained  from  Jamestown.  The  Chief  agreed  that 
two  messengers  should  bear  a  letter  to  the  settle 
ment,  although  he  could  not  believe  that  a  few  lines 
scrawled  upon  paper  would  convey  any  meaning, 
much  less  elicit  the  desired  response. 

The  messengers  journeyed  to  the  fort  with  all 
speed,  and  as  they  were  not  permitted  to  approach 
closely,  left  the  note  in  a  conspicuous  place  and  there 
received  the  reply.  Of  course  Smith  took  the  oppor 
tunity  to  warn  the  settlers  of  the  projected  attack, 
and  prayed  them  to  be  constantly  on  their  guard. 
He  also  suggested  that  some  show  of  strength,  as 
a  salvo  from  the  big  guns,  might  have  a  salutary 
effect  upon  the  messengers.  The  latter,  after  they 
had  received  the  medicine  requested,  and  turned 
homewards,  were  treated  to  such  a  thunderous  dis 
charge  of  cannon  and  musketry  that  they  ran  for 

212 


CAPTIVE  TO  THE  INDIANS 

miles  m  terror  of  their  lives  and  arrived  at  the  village 
well-nigh  scared  out  of  their  wits.  Their  account  of 
this  terrible  experience  decided  the  Indians  not  to 
attempt  a  descent  upon  Jamestown  and  their  respect 
increased  for  a  man  who  could  convey  his  thoughts 
and  wishes  by  means  of  such  a  mysterious  medium  as 
a  letter  appeared  to  them  to  be. 

Although  the  Indians  had  Smith  unarmed  and 
completely  in  their  power,  they  were  not  at  all  satis 
fied  of  his  inability  to  harm  them,  and  the  question 
seems  to  have  caused  them  considerable  anxiety. 
The  medicine  men  of  the  tribe  undertook  by  incan 
tations  and  other  species  of  deviltry  to  ascertain 
whether  the  captive's  intentions  towards  them  were 
good  or  otherwise.  Smith  was  led  in  the  morning 
to  a  large  house  in  the  centre  of  which  a  fire  burned. 
Here  he  was  left  alone,  and  presently  to  him  entered 
a  hideous  creature  making  unearthly  noises  in  his 
throat  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  rattle,  whilst  he 
danced  about  the  astonished  Englishman  in  gro 
tesque  antics.  This  merry-andrew's  head  was  deco 
rated  with  dangling  snake-skins  and  his  body  painted 
in  a  variety  of  colors.  After  a  while  he  was  joined 
by  three  brother-priests  who  set  up  a  discordant 
chorus  of  shrieks  and  yells,  whirling  and  skipping 
about  the  house  the  while.  They  were  painted  half 
in  black  and  half  in  red  with  great  white  rings  round 
their  eyes.  Shortly  these  were  joined  by  three 
more  medicine  men  equally  fantastic  in  appearance 

213 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

and  actions.  The  ceremony  was  maintained  by 
these  seven  throughout  the  day,  much  to  the  disgust 
of  Smith,  who  soon  found  it  tiresome  and  uninterest 
ing  and  particularly  so  as  it  involved  an  absolute 
fast  from  dawn  to  sundown.  In  the  evening  women 
placed  great  mounds  of  food  upon  the  mats  of  the 
house  and  invited  Smith  to  eat,  but  the  priests 
refrained  from  doing  so  until  he  had  finished. 

This  performance  was  repeated  on  the  two  suc 
cessive  days,  but  we  are  not  told  what  conclusion 
was  reached  by  all  the  fuss. 


214 


XVII. 

POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 


AFTER  A  WEARY  CIRCUIT  OF  THE  INDIAN  VILLAGES  SMITH  is 
BROUGHT  TO  WEROWOCOMICO — HE  is  RECEIVED  BY  POWHATAN 
IN  THE  "KING'S  HOUSE" — THE  CHIEFS  IN  COUNCIL  DECIDE 

TO  PUT  HIM  TO  DEATH — HE  IS  BOUND  AND  LAID  OUT,  PREPARA 
TORY  TO  BEING  KILLED — POCAHONTAS  INTERVENES  AT  THE 
CRITICAL  MOMENT — PoWHATAN's  DILEMMA  AND  OPECHAN- 
CANOUGH'S  DETERMINATION — "THE  COUNCIL  HAS  DECREED 
THE  DEATH  OF  THE  PALEFACE" — "I,  POCAHONTAS,  DAUGH 
TER  OF  OUR  KlNG,  CLAIM  THIS  MAN  FOR  MY  BROTHER" — 
THE  INDIAN  MAIDEN  PREVAILS — SMITH  is  REPRIEVED  AND 

FORMALLY  ADOPTED  INTO  THE  TRIBE — THEY  WISH  HIM  TO 
REMAIN  WITH  THEM  AND  LEAD  THEM  AGAINST  HIS  OWN 
PEOPLE. 

ONE  morning,  shortly  after  the  episode  of  the 
medicine  men,  Captain  Smith  learned,  to  his  great 
relief,  that  commands  had  been  received  for  his 
removal  at  once  to  the  capital.  He  had  no  idea 
what,  if  any  fate  had  been  determined  upon  for  him, 
but  he  was  heartily  tired  of  the  weary  wanderings 
and  suspense  of  the  past  weeks  and  ready  to  face 
the  worst  rather  than  prolong  the  uncertainty.  We- 
rowocomico,  the  principal  seat  of  the  "  Emperor  " 
Powhatan,  was  short  of  a  day's  journey  distant, 
and  Opechancanough,  with  his  illustrious  prisoner, 

215 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

reached  the  town  as  the  early  winter  night  was  set 
ting  in.  The  capital  of  the  .Werowance  consisted 
of  about  thirty  large  wigwams,  or  "  houses,"  as  the 
earlier  writers  called  them,  and  a  number  of  smaller 
ones.  These  for  the  nonce  were  reinforced  by  the 
tepees,  or  tents,  of  the  many  Indians  who  had  come 
in  from  distant  villages  for  the  occasion  which  was 
no  ordinary  one.  The  large  wigwams  were  made  in 
the  form  of  the  rounded  tops  of  the  wagons  called 
"  prairie  schooners,"  which  in  the  days  before  rail 
roads  were  used  upon  the  continent  of  North 
America  for  long-distance  travel.  These  wagon 
tops  were  sometimes  taken  off  and  placed  upon  the 
ground  to  serve  as  tents,  when  the  occupants  would 
be  lying  in  a  contrivance  exactly  like  the  ancient 
wigwam  in  shape.  The  latter  was  commonly  big 
enough  to  contain  a  whole  family  and  sometimes 
harbored  an  entire  band  of  fifty  or  sixty  natives. 
In  that  case  it  had  two  rows  of  apartments  running 
along  the  sides  and  a  common  hall  in  the  middle. 
The  structure  was  composed  of  a  framework  of 
boughs  covered  with  the  bark  of  trees  or  with  skins 
— sometimes  a  combination  of  both. 

Smith's  captors  approached  the  capital  in 
triumphal  fashion,  chanting  their  song  of  victory 
and  flourishing  their  weapons  in  exultant  pride. 
The  town  was  prepared  to  give  them  the  reception 
usually  accorded  to  victorious  warriors  returning 
from  battle.  Great  fires  burned  at  frequent  points 

216 


POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 

illuming  the  scene  with  a  garish  light  in  which  the 
bedaubed  and  bedizened  savages  looked  doubly 
hideous.  Chiefs  and  people  were  attired  in  all  their 
fantastic  finery  and  even  the  children  made  some 
show  of  tawdry  ornament.  The  women  had  pre 
pared  food  with  even  more  than  ordinary  profusion 
and  had  laid  the  mats  in  anticipation  of  the  pros 
pective  feasting.  A  double  line  of  fully  armed  and 
foully  painted  warriors — "  grim  courtiers,"  Smith 
calls  them — formed  an  avenue  to  the  "  King's 
house  "  along  which  the  captive  passed  into  the  pres 
ence  of  the  great  Werowance,  whilst  the  spectators 
"  stood  wondering  at  him  as  he  had  been  a  monster." 
At  the  farther  end  of  the  wigwam,  upon  a  plat 
form,  before  which  a  large  fire  blazed,  reclined  the 
aged  but  still  vigorous  chieftain,  upon  a  heap  of 
furs.  On  either  side  of  him  stood  the  principal 
chiefs  and  medicine  men  of  the  tribe,  whilst  the 
women  of  his  family  grouped  themselves  behind. 
Two  dense  walls  of  warriors  lined  along  the  sides 
of  the  wigwam  leaving  a  space  in  the  centre  which 
was  covered  by  a  mat.  Upon  this  Smith  took  his 
stand  and  calmly  surveyed  the  scene  which  was  not 
without  an  element  of  rude  beauty.  A  loud  shout 
had  greeted  his  entrance.  In  the  profound  silence 
that  followed,  two  women — "  the  Queen  of  Appa- 
matuck  and  another " — came  forward  with  food 
which  they  placed  before  him  and  signed  to  him  to 
eat  Our  hero's  appetite  and  his  curiosity  never 

217 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

failed  him  under  any  circumstances.  He  had  a  habit 
of  living  in  the  present  moment  and  not  concerning 
himself  unduly  about  the  uncertain  future.  So,  in 
this  crisis,  when  the  ordinary  man  would  have  been 
too  much  preoccupied  with  the  thought  of  his  fate 
to  attend  to  the  needs  of  his  stomach,  Smith 
addressed  himself  in  leisurely  fashion  to  the  pile  of 
food  and  at  the  same  time  studied  the  details  of  his 
surroundings  with  a  retentive  eye.  Meanwhile,  the 
savages  stood  silent  and  stock  still  as  statues  until 
he  had  finished. 

When  at  length  our  hero  rose  refreshed  and  ready 
to  face  his  fate,  Powhatan  also  stood  up  and  beckoned 
to  him  to  approach  the  royal  dais.  Powhatan  was 
arrayed  in  his  state  robe  of  raccoon  skins.  A  band 
of  pearls  encircled  his  brow  and  a  tuft  of  eagle's 
feathers  surmounted  his  head.  Smith  was  im 
pressed  by  the  dignity  and  forcefulness  of  the  old 
chief  who  addressed  him  in  a  deep  bass  voice. 

"  The  paleface  has  abused  the  hospitality  of  Pow 
hatan  and  requited  his  kindness  with  treachery," 
said  the  chieftain  in  slow  and  solemn  tones.  "  The 
paleface  and  his  brethren  came  to  Powhatan's  coun 
try  when  the  summer  was  young  and  begged  for 
food  and  land  that  they  might  live.  My  people 
would  have  slain  them  but  I  commanded  that  grain 
be  given  to  the  palefaces  and  that  they  be  allowed  to 
live  in  peace  in  the  village  whicfi  they  had  ma'de. 
Was  this  not  enough?  Did  not  Powhatan  thus 

218 


POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 

prove  his  friendship  and  good  will  to  the  strangers 
in  his  land  ?  " 

We  know  that  all  this  was  a  mixture  of  falsehood 
and  sophistry.  As  such  Smith  recognized  it,  of 
course,  but,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  arouse  the  chief's 
anger  by  contradicting  him,  he  decided  to  keep 
silence  and  an  immovable  countenance.  After  a 
pause,  during  which  he  endeavored  without  success 
to  read  the  effect  of  his  words  in  the  prisoner's  face, 
Powhatan  continued: 

"  Powhatan's  people  have  given  the  palefaces 
abundance  of  food — venison  and  fowls  and  corn. 
They  have  furnished  them  with  warm  furs.  They 
have  shown  them  the  springs  of  the  forest.  They 
have  taught  them  to  trap  the  beasts  and  to  net  the 
fish.  And  the  palefaces,  scorning  the  kindness  of 
Powhatan  and  his  people,  turn  their  fire-machines 
upon  them  and  slay  them.  You — their  werowance 
— they  send  to  spy  out  the  land  of  Powhatan  so  that 
they  may  make  war  upon  his  villages  in  the  night 
time.  Now  my  people  cry  for  your  blood.  What 
shall  I  say  to  them?  How  shall  I  again  deny  my 
warriors  whose  brothers  you  yourself  have  slain  ?  " 

"  The  Powhatan  mistakes  the  purpose  of  myself 
and  my  people,"  replied  Smith.  "  It  is  our  wish  and 
intent  to  treat  our  red  brothers  with  justice  and 
friendliness.  If  we  have  killed  some  it  hath  been  in 
defence  of  our  own  lives.  Our  fire-machines  have 
spoken  only  when  the  bow  was  drawn  against  us. 

219 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

It  is  not  in  our  minds  to  make  war  upon  the  great 
Powhatan  nor  yet  to  rob  him  of  his  lands.  What 
soever  we  ask  at  his  hands  we  are  ready  to  pay  for. 
If  the  great  Werowance  allows  the  clamor  of  his 
warriors  for  my  life  to  override  his  own  good  judg 
ment,  so  be  it.  But  I  would  warn  Powhatan  and 
his  chiefs  that  my  death  will  be  the  signal  for  relent 
less  war  against  their  people,  for  I  am  the  subject 
of  a  mighty  king  whose  rule  extends  over  lands 
many  times  greater  than  those  of  Powhatan,  whose 
soldiers  are  as  numerous  as  the  stars  in  the  heavens 
and  whose  ships  sail  the  seas  in  every  direction.  He 
will  surely  avenge  my  death  with  a  bitter  vengeance." 

Smith  had  no  idea  of  committing  himself  to  an 
argument  and  wisely  contented  himself  with  a  brief 
statement  of  the  facts,  adding  a  threat  that  he  hoped 
might  give  the  savages  pause.  It  was  clear  from 
Powhatan's  remarks  that  he  was  determined  to  place 
the  prisoner  in  the  wrong,  and  contradiction  could 
have  no  good  effect.  Finding  that  his  captive  had 
nothing  more  to  say,  the  Werowance  sent  him  to  a 
nearby  wigwam  with  instructions  that  he  should  be 
made  comfortable  and  allowed  to  rest.  Meanwhile, 
the  chiefs  went  into  council  over  his  fate. 

Smith's  words  had  made  a  strong  impression  upon 
Powhatan,  who  was  the  most  sagacious  Indian  of  his 
tribe.  He  was  altogether  averse  to  putting  the  pris 
oner  to  death  because  he  was  forced  in  his  mind  to 
acknowledge  the  white  men  as  superior  beings  with 

220 


POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 

whom  it  would  be  dangerous  to  evoke  a  war. 
Doubtless  they  would  soon  send  another  chief  to 
replace  Smith  and  more  would  be  gained  by  holding 
him  for  ransom  than  by  killing  him.  But  Pow- 
hatan's  wise  conclusions  were  not  shared  by  the 
other  members  of  the  council.  With  hardly  an  ex 
ception  they  were  in  favor  of  Smith's  death  by  the 
usual  torturous  methods.  One  of  the  chiefs  was  a 
brother  of  the  man  who  had  died  as  the  result  of  a 
pistol  wound  inflicted  by  Smith  in  the  skirmish  pre 
ceding  his  capture.  He  was  implacable  in  the  de 
mand  for  the  usual  satisfaction  of  a  life  for  a  life, 
and  was  warmly  supported  by  Opechancanough 
who,  to  the  day  of  his  death  at  their  hands,  main 
tained  an  unappeasable  hatred  for  the  whole  race 
of  white  men.  Now  Opechancanough  was,  after 
the  great  Werowance,  the  most  influential  chief  in 
the  tribe,  and  rather  than  incur  his  displeasure  and 
that  of  the  others,  Powhatan  yielded  against  his 
better  judgment.  He  did  this,  however,  only  after 
having  expressed  his  opinion  to  the  contrary,  and  the 
real  respect  which  he  felt  for  Smith  led  him  to  stipu 
late  that  the  captive  should  not  be  put  to  the  torture 
but  should  be  executed  by  the  more  humane  and 
speedy  means  employed  by  the  savages  with  mem 
bers  of  their  own  tribe. 

This  conclusion  of  the  council  having  been 
reached,  Smith  was  brought  again  into  the  king's 
house  and  informed  of  it.  He  bowed  with  courage 

221 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

and  dignity  to  the  decision  which  he  felt  that  it  would 
be  futile  to  protest  against  and  calmly  held  out  his 
arms  to  the  warriors  who  came  forward  to  bind  him. 
Whilst  these  tightly  bound  his  hands  to  his  sides  and 
tied  his  feet  together,  others  rolled  into  the  centre 
of  the  wigwam  a  large  stone.  When  this  had  been 
placed,  the  prisoner  was  required  to  kneel  and  lay 
his  head  upon  it.  This  he  did  with  the  serene  self- 
possession  that  had  not  been  shaken  in  the  least  dur 
ing  this  trying  ordeal.  At  the  same  time  he  silently 
commended  his  spirit  to  his  Maker,  believing  that 
the  next  moment  would  be  his  last  on  earth.  The 
executioners  stood,  one  on  either  side,  their  clubs 
poised  ready  for  the  signal  to  dash  out  his  brains. 

Powhatan  was  in  the  act  of  raising  his  hand  in  the 
fatal  gesture  that  would  have  stamped  our  hero's 
doom,  when  a  young  girl,  as  graceful  as  a  doe  and 
not  less  agile,  burst  through  the  throng  that  sur 
rounded  the  Werowance  and  sprang  to  the  prisoner's 
side.  Waving  back  the  executioners  with  the 
haughty  dignity  derived  from  a  long  line  of  noble 
ancestors,  she  drew  her  slim  and  supple  figure  to  its 
full  height  and  faced  the  group  of  chieftains  with 
head  erect  and  flashing  eyes. 

"  Pardon,  Powhatan !  Pardon,  my  father !  "  she 
cried  in  a  rich  voice  quivering  with  emotion. 
"  Pocahontas  craves  the  life  of  the  captive,  and 
claims  the  right  to  adopt  him  as  a  brother  according 
to  the  immemorial  custom  of  our  tribe." 

222 


POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 

Powhatan  was  in  a  quandary.  Pocahontas  was 
his  favorite  daughter,  his  pet,  and  the  comfort  of 
his  old  age.  He  had  never  denied  her  anything, 
nor  ever  thought  to  do  so.  He  had  a  strong  inclina 
tion  to  grant  her  request,  but  as  he  looked  round  the 
circle  of  angry  faces  and  heard  the  subdued  mutter- 
ings  of  his  chiefs  he  hesitated  to  incur  their  discon 
tent. 

"  The  Council  has  decreed  the  death  of  the  pale 
face.  It  can  not  be,  my  daughter,"  he  said.  But 
there  was  an  unusual  trace  of  indecision  in  his  voice. 

"  It  must  be,  my  father ! "  cried  the  girl,  with 
spirit.  "  Is  a  princess,  and  your  child,  to  be  denied 
the  right  that  every  woman  of  our  tribe  enjoys? 
Any  woman  of  the  Powhatans  may  redeem  a  con 
demned  prisoner  by  adopting  him,  and  I — I,  Poca 
hontas,  daughter  of  our  king,  claim  this  man  for  my 
brother." 

Powhatan  was  deeply  moved  by  the  dignified  and 
earnest  plea  of  the  girl  and  was  about  to  accede  to  it 
when  Opechancanough  leaned  forward  and  whispered 
in  his  ear.  The  words  of  the  Chief  of  the  Pamaun- 
kes,  whatever  they  were,  seemed  to  be  decisive, 
for  Powhatan,  with  a  gesture  of  mingled  annoy 
ance  and  regret,  signed  to  the  executioners  to  per 
form  their  task.  The  eyes  of  Pocahontas  had  been 
anxiously  fixed  upon  her  father  during  this  pause  in 
the  proceedings  and,  as  she  saw  his  sign  of  submis 
sion  to  the  argument  of  the  Pamaunke,  she  threw 

223 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

herself  upon  the  head  of  Smith  and  entwined  her 
arms  about  his  neck. 

She  had  nothing  further  to  say,  realizing  that 
words  would  have  no  effect,  but,  with  the  quick  wit 
of  a  woman,  she  had  advanced  an  argument  which 
was  unanswerable.  The  executioners  dropped 
their  clubs  and  looked  perplexedly  towards  the  We- 
rowance.  The  assembled  warriors  gazed  expect 
antly  in  the  same  direction.  The  affair  had  reached 
an  impasse.  None  there  dared  lay  a  hand  on  the 
girl  save  the  Powhatan,  and  he  had  no  thought  of 
doing  so.  He  gazed  at  her  with  proud  satisfaction 
for  a  few  moments,  whilst  a  presentiment  took  pos 
session  of  his  mind  that  this  slip  of  a  girl  had  unwit 
tingly  saved  her  tribe  from  a  world  of  possible 
troubles. 

"  Let  be !  "  he  said  with  an  air  of  weariness. 
"  The  paleface  shall  be  adopted  into  the  tribe  to 
make  hatchets  for  me  and  beads  for  his  little  sister." 

With  that  Smith  was  unbound  and  taken  to  a 
wigwam  where  they  brought  him  food  and  left  him 
to  wonder  at  the  marvellous  workings  of  Provi 
dence  and  pass  a  peaceful  night. 

The  next  morning  our  hero  was  led  to  one  of  the 
larger  houses  which  was  divided  in  the  middle  by  a 
partition.  Smith  was  instructed  to  seat  himself 
and  to  await  events.  Presently,  from  the  other  side 
of  the  screen  came  the  most  hideous  howls  and 
shrieks  he  had  ever  heard,  but  Smith  had  got  beyond 

224 


POCAHONTAS  TO  THE  RESCUE 

the  point  of  being  disturbed  by  anything  that  might 
occur.  For  half  an  hour  or  more  the  strange  sounds 
continued,  when  Powhatan  and  his  chiefs  entered, 
accompanied  by  Smith's  old  friends  the  noisy  medi 
cine  men.  He  was  informed  that  the  ceremony 
which  had  just  taken  place  was  that  of  his  adoption 
into  the  tribe  and  Powhatan  formally  addressed  him 
as  "  son."  From  this  time  Smith  was  treated  with 
the  utmost  consideration  and  those  who  had  been 
the  most  eager  for  his  death,  with  the  exception  of 
the  implacable  Opechancanough  who  departed  to  his 
village  in  high  dudgeon,  now  vied  with  each  other 
in  efforts  to  secure  his  good-will.  Powhatan  and 
Smith  held  many  conferences  together  in  which 
each  learned  a  great  deal  from  the  other  and  grew 
to  regard  his  erstwhile  enemy  with  feelings  of  respect 
and  friendship. 

The  savages  had  entertained  the  hope  that  after 
the  adoption  Smith  would  remain  with  them  and 
they  even  thought  to  induce  him  to  lead  them  against 
Jamestown.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  firmly  de 
clined  to  do  either.  Powhatan  being  at  length  con 
vinced  of  Smith's  friendly  intentions  agrees  to  his 
return  but,  in  satisfaction  of  his  own  desire  as  well 
as  to  appease  the  disappointment  of  his  people,  he 
exacts  a  ransom  to  consist  of  two  of  the  largest 
guns  in  the  fort  and  the  biggest  grindstone. 


IS  225 


XVIII. 

FIRE  AND  STARVATION 


POWHATAN  BY  EXCESSIVE  GREED  OVERREACHES  HIMSELF — SMITH 
IS  ALLOWED  TO  RETURN  TO  THE  SETTLEMENT — HE  FINDS  THE 

COLONISTS,  AS  USUAL,  DISTURBED  BY  DISSENSIONS — ARRIVES 
JUST  IN  TIME  TO  PREVENT  RATCLIFFE  AND  OTHERS  FROM 
DESERTING — NEWPORT  ARRIVES  WITH  THE  "  FIRST  SUPPLY  " — 
THE  INDIANS  CONTINUE  TO  TREAT  SMITH  AS  A  TRIBAL 
CHIEF — FlRE  DESTROYS  JAMESTOWN  COMPLETELY — NEWPORT 
AND  SMITH  VISIT  POWHATAN — THE  PURPLE  BEADS  "FIT 

ONLY  FOR  THE  USE  OF  KlNGS  " — THE  ASTUTE  INDIAN  CHIEF 
MEETS  HIS  MATCH  IN  CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH — THE  SET 
TLERS  ARE  SMITTEN  WITH  THE  GOLD  FEVER — CAPTAIN  NEW 
PORT  SAILS  FOR  ENGLAND  WITH  A  WONDERFUL  CARGO. 

HAD  Powhatan  been  less  specific  in  his  demand, 
or  less  greedy  in  his  desire,  Captain  Smith  might 
have  found  it  difficult  to  agree  to  his  proposal. 
But,  when  the  Werowance  made  a  point  of  exacting 
the  "  two  largest  guns  and  the  biggest  grindstone  " 
in  the  fort,  Smith  had  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  he 
would  permit  Powhatan's  messengers  to  carry  away 
the  articles  mentioned.  This  point  having  been 
settled  to  their  mutual  satisfaction,  the  Chief  detailed 
twelve  men  to  guide  and  guard  our  hero  on  the  road 
to  Jamestown  which,  being  but  twelve  miles  from 
Werowocomico,  they  reached  by  easy  marches. 

226 


FIRE  AND  STARVATION 

.The  Indian  escort  was  treated  with  all  the  kindness 
Smith  could  command  for  them.  Each  was  given 
a  present  and  they  were  charged  with  the  delivery  of 
a  package  to  Powhatan,  containing  a  number  of  the 
things  most  highly  prized  by  the  savages.  When 
the  time  for  their  departure  came  they  asked  for  the 
guns  and  grindstone  which  they  were  to  carry  back 
to  their  Chief. 

"  Certes !  They  be  yours  if  you  can  carry  them," 
replied  Smith,  pointing,  with  a  quizzical  smile,  at 
two  demi-culverins  each  weighing  more  than  four 
tons  and  a  huge  grindstone  which  four  men  could 
hardly  raise  on  edge.  The  baffled  savages  looked 
on  these  ponderous  things  with  dismay  and  had  to 
admit  that  they  could  not  be  carried  to  Werowoco- 
mico  though  the  whole  tribe  came  after  them. 
Smith  was  not  willing  that  his  visitors  should  leave 
without  gaining  some  impression  of  the  power  as 
well  as  the  size  of  the  ordnance  and  so  he  loaded  one 
of  the  guns  with  small  stones  and  discharged  it  into 
the  trees  where  the  icicle-laden  boughs  were  thickest. 
The  smoke  and  racket  that  followed  filled  the  Indians 
with  terror  and  they  took  their  leave  hurriedly, 
doubtless  glad  that  the  roaring,  fire-spitting  monster 
was  not  to  accompany  them. 

The  great  majority  of  the  settlers  welcomed  Cap 
tain  Smith,  whom  they  had  never  expected  to  see 
again,  with  genuine  joy.  Once  more  he  had  arrived 
just  in  the  nick  of  time,  for  the  affairs  of  the  colony 

227 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

had  been  going  from  bad  to  worse  during  his  absence 
and  were  now  on  the  point  of  a  crisis  that,  had  it  not 
been  averted,  would  have  probably  effected  the  ruin 
of  the  colony.  There  had  been  no  improvement  in 
the  government.  Ratcliffe  had  become  justly  un 
popular  in  the  presidency  and  Archer,  a  pettifogging 
lawyer  and  mischief-maker,  had  been  admitted  to  the 
Council.  Martin,  feeble  in  health  and  mind,  had 
fallen  under  the  complete  domination  of  the  other 
two  and  with  them  and  other  malcontents  had  en 
tered  into  a  conspiracy  which  the  return  of  Captain 
Smith  was  just  in  time  to  frustrate.  He  no  sooner 
heard  of  their  plot  to  sail  to  England  in  the  pinnace 
and  desert  the  settlement  than  he  bearded  them  in 
the  Council  room. 

"So,"  he  cried,  indignation  and  contempt  show 
ing  in  every  tone  and  gesture.  "  So !  These  be 
the  gallant  gentlemen  who  contended  among  them 
selves  for  leadership  of  our  enterprise!  By  my 
halidame!  A  fine  pack  of  leaders — tufftaffaty 
humorists  rather!  Ye  mind  me  of  one  Falstaffe 
— a  cowardly,  gluttonous  braggart  he — I  once 
saw  depicted  at  the  Globe  playhouse.  Not  one  of 
you  has  hazarded  his  skin  beyond  musket-shot  of  the 
fort  but  now,  having  fattened  and  reposed  your 
selves  through  the  winter,  ye  would  return  to  Eng 
land  and  brag  of  your  brave  deeds  and  feats  of  arms. 
But — and  I  mistake  not — we  shall  find  a  different 
conclusion  for  your  plot.  I  hold  the  King's  commis- 


FIRE  AND  STARVATION 

sion  to  maintain  the  flag  of  England  in  this  country 
and  whilst  my  arm  and  brain  serve  me  that  will  I 
do  in  good  faith  and  count  all  such  as  oppose  the 
commands  of  His  Most  Gracious  Majesty,  enemies 
of  the  realm  and  traitors  to  their  country.  Take 
heed  then  how  ye  proceed  in  this  matter,  for  I  will 
see  to  it  that  the  guns  are  manned  day  and  night 
by  good  and  true  men  with  instructions  to  sink  the 
pinnace  at  the  first  show  of  sinister  design." 

With  that  Smith  clapped  his  hat  upon  his  head 
and  strode  out  of  the  Council  room. 

If  the  conspirators  had  entertained  any  thought 
of  pursuing  their  project  in  the  face  of  Captain 
Smith's  opposition,  the  ringing  shout  with  which 
he  was  greeted  by  the  waiting  crowd  outside  was 
sufficient  to  banish  it.  Word  of  what  was  going 
forward  had  drawn  the  settlers  to  the  Council  House 
and  much  of  Smith's  harangue,  delivered  in  a  voice 
strong  with  anger,  had  penetrated  to  them.  They 
were  almost  to  a  man  in  sympathy  with  him,  for  the 
cowardly  plotters  belonged  exclusively  to  the  "  gen 
tleman  "  class  among  the  colonists,  men  who  arro 
gated  to  themselves  superior  privileges  and  rights 
whilst  unwilling  to  bear  even  their  share  of  hardship 
and  toil.  These  poor  creatures  should  not  be  con 
sidered  representative  of  the  gentlemen  of  England, 
who  in  those  stirring  times  produced  many  of  the 
bravest  and  most  self-sacrificing  leaders  in  the 
chronicles  of  Christendom. 

229 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

The  settlers  had  almost  begun  to  despair  of  New 
port's  return  when  one  day,  in  early  January,  he 
sailed  into  the  river  with  a  well-laden  ship  and  up 
wards  of  one  hundred  new  colonists.  His  appear 
ance  put  an  end  to  a  pretty  scheme  which  the  attor 
ney  Archer  had  concocted  to  encompass  Smith's 
downfall.  Direct  from  England,  with  authority 
superior  to  that  of  any  man  in  Jamestown,  Newport 
instituted  an  inquiry  into  the  government  of  the 
colony  during  his  absence  and  determined  that  Wing- 
field  and  Archer  should  return  with  him,  to  answer 
to  the  Company.  Scrivener  he  appointed  to  the 
Council  and  thus  assured  Smith  of  one  firm  ally  in 
that  body.  Newport  had  started  for  America  with 
two  vessels.  These  became  separated  in  mid-ocean 
and  the  Ph&nix,  commanded  by  Captain  Francis 
Nelson,  did  not  arrive  until  considerably  later. 

The  relations  between  the  Indians  and  the  colo 
nists  now  became  very  friendly,  owing  to  the  adop 
tion  of  Smith  by  the  tribe.  After  his  return  to 
Jamestown,  Pocahontas  and  some  of  the  other 
women  of  Werowocomico  came  to  the  settlement 
twice  or  three  times  a  week  laden  with  provisions, 
these  being  Smith's  share,  as  a  chief,  of  the  tribal 
stores.  On  these  occasions,  men  would  also  bring 
foodstuff  to  be  disposed  of  in  trade.  These  supplies 
were  very  timely,  for  the  settlement  had  again 
approached  the  verge  of  starvation  when  Smith  re 
turned  after  his  seven  weeks  of  captivity,  and  Cap- 

230 


FIRE  AND  STARVATION 

tain  Newport's  arrival  did  not  greatly  mend  that 
matter,  for  the  larger  part  of  the  edible  supplies  sent 
from  England  were  upon  the  tardy  vessel.  In  the 
barter  with  the  savages,  Smith  established  a  scale  of 
exchange  based  upon  the  values  set  by  the  Indians 
themselves  upon  the  wares  of  the  foreigners.  This 
was  of  course  fair  enough,  but  his  enemies,  more  than 
ever  jealous  of  the  great  influence  he  evidently  en 
joyed  with  the  Indians,  sought  to  undermine  it  by 
giving  them  very  much  more  than  they  asked  for  their 
grain  and  venison.  The  result  was  that  in  a  short 
while  a  pound  of  copper  would  scarce  purchase  as 
much  as  an  ounce  had  secured  under  Smith's  regula 
tion.  The  schemers  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
Smith  fall  in  the  regard  of  the  Indians,  who  naturally 
thought  that  he  had  been  cheating  them. 

The  newcomers  were  of  course  a  welcome  acces 
sion  to  the  depleted  colony,  but  they  brought  mis 
fortune  upon  it  at  the  outset.  They  had  been  little 
more  than  a  week  within  the  stockade  when  one  of 
them  through  carelessness  set  fire  to  the  house  in 
which  he  was  lodged.  The  flames  spread  and  in  a 
few  short  hours  all  the  buildings  and  even  the  forti 
fications  were  consumed.  Nothing  could  be  saved 
but  the  clothes  upon  the  men's  backs,  and  the  sup 
plies  which  Newport  had  landed  went  with  the  rest. 
In  this  extremity  the  settlers  must  have  perished  of 
cold  and  starvation,  or  fallen  under  the  arrows  of 
the  savages,  but  for  the  amicable  relations  which  had 

231 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

been  brought  about  by  Captain  Smith.  As  it  was, 
the  Indians  hastened  to  bring  furs  and  food  to  the 
relief  of  the  miserable  white  men  who  were  pros 
trated  body  and  soul  by  the  sudden  misfortune. 
They  sat  about  the  ruins  of  Jamestown,  bewailing 
their  lot  and  praying  Captain  Newport  to  carry  them 
home  to  England.  This  would  have  been  impossible 
at  the  time,  even  had  he  a  mind  to  do  so,  for  there 
was  not  enough  food  on  the  ship  to  serve  such  a 
numerous  company  as  far  as  the  West  Indies. 

Smith  was  ashamed  at  the  cowardice  of  his  coun 
trymen  and  fearful  lest  their  puerile  exhibition  of 
weakness  should  lower  them  in  the  estimation  of  the 
Indians,  many  of  whom  were  on  hand,  for  the 
flames  of  Jamestown  had  been  plainly  visible  at 
Werowocomico.  Seconded  by  Mr.  Hunt,  Newport, 
Percy  and  Scrivener,  he  went  among  the  whimpering 
colonists  persuading,  threatening,  cajoling — in 
short,  using  any  means  to  make  them  bestir  them 
selves. 

"  See  yonder  dominie,  good  Master  Hunt,  how, 
with  exhortation,  he  hearteneth  the  afflicted,'*  he 
cried  seeking  to  shame  them  by  the  exhibition  of  a 
good  example.  "  Yet  no  man  among  us  hath  suf 
fered  so  great  loss  as  he.  For  not  only  his  chattels 
and  clothes  have  been  destroyed  but  also  his  books 
on  which  lie  set  more  store  than  upon  gold  or  aught 
else.  Yet  hath  no  moaning  or  complaint  issued 
from  him.  but  he  t>eareth  himself  bravely  and  with 

232 


FIRE  AND  STARVATION 

composure  as  becometh  a  true  gentleman  and  a  ser 
vant  of  God." 

These  efforts  at  length  moved  the  settlers  to 
action  and,  with  the  aid  of  the  sailors  and  some 
Indians  who  were  hired  to  assist,  rude  structures 
were  hastily  raised  in  sufficient  numbers  to  afford 
shelter  to  all.  The  work  of  rebuilding  Jamestown 
in  a  permanent  fashion  was  necessarily  deferred. 

Smith  now  proposed  that  Newport  should  pay  a 
visit  to  Powhatan.  During  his  captivity  our  hero 
had  taken  pains  to  impress  the  Chief  with  an  idea 
of  Newport's  importance  and  power.  Indeed,  he 
had  addressed  himself  to  this  task  with  such  enthusi 
asm  that  the  savages  conceived  of  Newport  as  "  Cap 
tain  Smith's  God,"  and  by  that  title  he  was  known 
among  them.  Taking  an  escort  of  forty  men, 
Smith,  Newport  and  Scrivener  reached  Werowoco- 
mico  without  any  mishap  and  received  a  warm  wel 
come.  Powhatan  awaited  them  in  the  same  "  long 
house "  which  had  been  the  scene  of  our  hero's 
stirring  adventure.  It  was  a  state  occasion,  as 
Smith's  former  appearance  there  had  been,  and  the 
assemblage  presented  much  the  same  aspect.  But 
now,  in  place  of  scowling  faces  and  angry  mutter- 
ings,  Smith  and  his  companions  were  met  with 
smiles  and  cries  of  friendly  greeting.  After  formal 
salutations  had  been  exchanged,  a  great  feast  was 
set  out  in  which  they  all  partook.  This  was  fol 
lowed  by  dancing,  singing,  and  mimic  combats. 

233 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

Smith's  prime  object  in  suggesting  this  visit  of 
Newport  to  the  Chief  of  the  Powhatans  lay  in  a  hope 
that  it  might  tend  to  cement  the  friendly  relations 
existing  between  the  redmen  and  the  settlers.  He 
was  not,  however,  forgetful  of  the  needs  of  the  settle 
ment,  always  on  the  verge  of  starvation,  and  pro 
posed  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  secure 
as  much  food  as  possible  from  the  ample  stores  of 
Werowocomico.  He  warned  Newport  to  part  with 
his  wares  on  the  best  terms  obtainable  and  to  show 
but  few  things  at  a  time  and  those  with  a  pretence 
at  reluctance.  But  Newport's  eagerness  to  play  the 
part  of  "  big  chief "  and  Powhatan's  shrewdness 
came  near  to  upsetting  Smith's  plans.  When  New 
port  had  presented  a  very  generous  gift  to  the 
Werowance,  intimating  that  the  rest  of  the  goods 
were  to  be  disposed  of  in  trade,  the  wily  Powhatan 
decided  to  circumvent  him  by  an  appeal  to  his  pride. 

"  It  is  not  seemly,"  he  said,  "  that  two  great 
Werowances  such  as  you  and  I  should  haggle  over 
the  details  of  trade.  Lay  out  your  wares  then,  that 
I  may  see  them  and  what  pleases  me  I  will  take, 
paying  to  you  a  fair  price  according  to  my  judg 
ment." 

Smith  could  scarce  keep  a  straight  countenance 
when  he  heard  this  naive  speech  of  the  old  chieftain, 
but  his  amusement  soon  gave  way  to  deep  concern 
as  he  saw  the  infatuated  Newport  spread  out  his 
entire  stock  before  Powhatan. 

234 


FIRE  AND  STARVATION 

Smith  had  serious  cause  for  apprehension.  The 
influence  of  the  settlers  over  the  Indians  and,  indeed, 
their  very  lives  depended  upon  the  copper,  glass, 
beads  and  similar  trifles  which  the  Indians  coveted 
so  greedily.  If  these  became  cheapened  in  their 
eyes,  the  colonists  would  have  nothing  with  which 
to  propitiate  them,  nor  with  which  to  pay  for  the 
provisions  so  constantly  needed.  And  here  was  the 
reckless  Newport  permitting  Powhatan  to  help  him 
self  on  condition  of  paying  what  he  pleased  for  what 
he  should  take.  The  rates  of  exchange  set  by  Smith 
had  already,  as  we  know,  been  ruinously  enhanced 
in  favor  of  the  Indians,  and  this  transaction  was 
calculated  to  still  more  greatly  raise  them.  He  did 
not  dare  to  protest,  for  fear  of  arousing  Powhatan's 
anger,  but  fortunately  his  quick  wit  enabled  him 
to  save  the  situation  without  creating  any 
unpleasantness. 

Among  the  many  things  displayed  for  the  inspec 
tion  of  the  great  Werowance,  Smith  noted  some 
beads  of  a  different  tint  to  any  others  there.  He 
quietly  abstracted  the  package,  taking  care  that 
Powhatan  should  see  him  do  so.  When  at  length 
the  Chief  had  indicated  all  the  things  he  wished  to 
retain,  he  fixed  a  price  on  them  which,  as  Smith  had 
anticipated,  was  not  more  than  one-tenth  as  much 
as  the  Indians  had  usually  paid  for  such  articles. 
Having  settled  that  business  to  his  entire  satisfac 
tion,  the  greedy  Chief  turned  to  Smith  and  asked  to 

235 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

be  shown  the  package  which  the  latter  had  put  aside. 
Powhatan  suspected  that  it  contained  something  of 
unusual  value  and  Smith  cunningly  confirmed  this 
suspicion  by  pretending  the  greatest  reluctance  to 
exhibit  the  articles.  Presently,  however,  he  showed 
them,  saying: 

"  These  be  as  you  see  different  in  color  from  all 
the  other  beads.  They  be  purple — the  royal  color 
in  the  countries  beyond  the  seas — and  fit  only  for  the 
use  of  kings." 

Of  course  Powhatan  was  consumed  with  a  desire 
to  possess  them  and  equally  of  course  Smith  did  not 
readily  yield  to  him.  At  last  the  Werowance  re 
ceived  the  coveted  purple  beads  on  the  payment  of 
six  times  as  much  for  them  as  he  had  given  for  all 
the  things  secured  from  Newport.  It  was  immedi 
ately  decreed  that  purple  beads  might  only  be  worn 
by  the  Powhatan  and  his  family  but  Opechan- 
canough  was  allowed  a  few  as  a  mark  of  special 
favor. 

After  five  days  of  entertainment  and  friendly  in 
tercourse,  the  Englishmen  returned  to  the  settle 
ment.  It  was  Newport's  intention  to  load  up  his 
vessel  with  cedar  and  depart  for  England  as  soon  as 
possible.  Just  at  this  time,  however,  a  trivial  acci 
dent  gave  an  entirely  new  and  unfortunate  turn  to  the 
affairs  of  the  colony.  One  of  the  settlers  discovered 
some  yellow  dust  shining  in  the  bottom  of  a  stream 
near  the  settlement.  Immediately,  the  whole  colony 

236 


FIRE  AND  STARVATION 

was  smitten  with  the  gold-fever.  Neglecting  all 
else  they  gave  themselves  up  to  the  pursuit  of  the 
precious  metal.  As  one  of  them  says :  "  There  was 
no  talk,  no  hope,  but  dig  gold,  wash  gold,  refine 
gold,  load  gold ;  such  a  bruit  of  gold  that  one  mad 
fellow,  a  wag,  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  sands  lest 
they  should,  by  their  art,  make  gold  of  his  bones." 
The  outcome  of  all  this  was  that,  after  several  weeks 
delay,  Newport  sailed  away  with  a  ship  laden  with 
mica  dust. 


XIX. 

A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 


CAPTAIN  NELSON  ARRIVES  IN  THE  PHCENIX  WITH  REINFORCE 
MENTS   AND   SUPPLIES — POWHATAN   BECOMES   DISGRUNTLED — 

SMITH  YIELDS  TO  POCAHONTAS  WHAT  HE  HAD  REFUSED  TO 
HER  FATHER — SMITH  SETS  OUT  TO  EXPLORE  CHESAPEAKE 
BAY — THE  EXPEDITION  MEETS  WITH  STORM  AND  SHIPWRECK 
— THE  PARTY  IS  LED  INTO  AN  AMBUSH — THEY  FIND  THE 
INDIANS  EVERYWHERE  UNFRIENDLY  AND  LEARN  OF  Pow- 
HATAN'S  TREACHERY — THE  SUSQUEHANNOCKS  AND  THEIR 
GIANT  CHIEF — THEY  PROPOSE  TO  MAKE  SMITH  THE  HEAD 
OF  THE  TRIBE — RATCLIFFE  IS  DEPOSED  AND  SCRIVENER 
ASSUMES  THE  PRESIDENCY — THE  COLONY  IS  PUT  IN  GOOD 
CONDITION — NEWPORT  RETURNS  BENT  ON  FANCIFUL  SCHEMES 
— THE  CORONATION  OF  POWHATAN. 

SMITH,  Scrivener  and  a  few  other  men  of  bal 
anced  minds  had  escaped  the  gold-fever.  They 
doubted  in  the  first  place  whether  the  stuff  was  worth 
anything  and  realized  that,  even  if  it  should  prove 
to  be  gold  indeed,  the  time  occupied  in  the  search 
of  it  had  better  have  been  employed  in  the  urgent 
affairs  of  the  settlement.  They  were  very  glad, 
therefore,  to  see  Newport  at  last  take  his  departure, 
and  immediately  set  men  at  work  rebuilding  the 
town  and  fortifications  and  breaking  ground  pre 
paratory  to  planting  corn.  The  settlers  were  thus  en- 

238 


A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 

gaged  when,  quite  unexpectedly,  the  Phcenix  arrived 
with  Captain  Nelson  and  one  hundred  and  twenty 
emigrants.  As  usual,  the  reinforcement  included 
two  or  more  gentlemen  for  every  laborer  or  artisan. 
Smith's  disappointment  on  this  account  was,  how 
ever,  offset  by  the  fact  that  Captain  Nelson  brought 
six  months'  provisions  which  were  sorely  needed  by 
the  settlers. 

Hardly  had  Newport  gone  than  the  colony  began 
to  reap  the  fruit  of  his  unwise  traffic  with  the  In 
dians.  Smith  had  always  been  careful  to  prevent 
the  natives  from  securing  any  of  the  European 
weapons,  or  even  pieces  of  iron  from  which  they 
might  fashion  swords.  Newport  was  less  cautious, 
perhaps  because  the  consequences  could  entail  no 
hazard  to  himself.  Just  before  his  departure  he 
gave  Powhatan  twenty  cutlasses  for  as  many  tur 
keys,  despite  the  earnest  protests  of  Smith.  Pow 
hatan  was  not  long  in  learning  the  superiority  of 
these  weapons  over  his  own  and,  thinking  to  secure 
more  of  them,  he  sent  messengers  to  Smith,  asking 
for  swords  in  exchange  for  fowls.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  the  demand  was  flatly  refused,  although 
Smith  was  loath  to  displease  the  chieftain.  Pow 
hatan  was  keenly  disappointed,  for  he  had  thought 
that,  as  a  member  of  the  tribe,  Smith  would  be  more 
amenable  to  his  wishes.  He  was  also  seriously 
offended,  and  sought  to  gain  his  point  by  stealth. 
Some  of  his  people  were  sent  to  the  settlement  with 

239 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

instructions  to  steal  whatever  they  could  and,  in  par 
ticular,  to  purloin  as  many  weapons  as  possible. 

As  Indians  were  frequent  visitors  to  Jamestown 
and  of  late  had  been  permitted  to  go  about  the  set 
tlement  freely,  it  was  comparatively  easy  for  Pow- 
hatan's  emissaries  to  carry  on  their  pilferings  for 
some  time  without  detection.  At  length,  however, 
several  of  them  were  caught  in  the  act  and  im 
prisoned.  Fearing  that  they  were  about  to  be  put 
to  death  they  revealed  a  conspiracy  against  the 
colony  on  the  part  of  Powhatan  and  his  principal 
chiefs.  Thus  forewarned  of  the  intended  treachery, 
Smith  hastened  the  work  on  the  defences  of  the 
place  and  kept  a  vigorous  guard  day  and  night. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  held  possession  of  his  prisoners 
much  to  the  uneasiness  of  the  great  Werowance. 
Repeated  requests  for  their  release  were  denied, 
although  the  messengers  came  laden  with  presents. 
Opechancanough  came  in  person  but  had  no  better 
success.  At  length  Powhatan  sent  Pocahontas  with 
expressions  of  his  regret  for  the  untoward  actions 
of  his  subjects  and  assurances  of  his  future  good 
will.  This  appeal  was  effective.  Smith  yielded, 
not  to  the  Chief  but  to  the  girl  who  had  saved  his 
life. 

There  had  been  a  great  deal  of  discussion  about 
the  freighting  of  the  Phcenix.  Ratcliffe,  Martin, 
and,  in  fact,  the  majority  were  for  loading  the  vessel 
with  the  delusive  dust  which  had  formed  Newport's 

240 


A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 

cargo.  Smith  and  Scrivener  protested  against  an 
other  shipment  of  what  they  strongly  suspected  to  be 
no  more  than  "  glittering  dirt."  Captain  Nelson 
took  the  same  view  of  the  matter  and  in  the  end  the 
Phoenix  sailed  out  of  the  James  with  an  honest  lading 
of  good  Virginia  cedar.  This  was  on  June  the  sec 
ond,  1608.  The  same  day  Smith  left  the  settlement 
in  an  open  barge  of  three  tons'  burden,  accompanied 
by  fifteen  men.  Most  of  these  were  newcomers, 
who  were  not  a  little  set  up  on  account  of  an  experi 
ence  they  had  gained  with  Newport  during  his  recent 
visit.  That  able  seaman  generally  contrived  to  make 
himself  ridiculous  when  he  transferred  the  scene  of 
his  activities  to  dry  land.  He  had  brought  out  a 
large  boat  in  five  sections  designed  to  be  carried 
across  the  mountains  in  his  projected  journey  to  the 
South  Sea.  The  expedition  started  with  a  great 
flourish  of  trumpets  and  after  being  gone  two  and  a 
half  days  returned  to  Jamestown  and  abandoned 
the  enterprise.  Now  those  of  Smith's  force  who 
had  been  in  Newport's  company  thought  that  the 
latter's  expedition  was  a  fair  sample  of  exploration. 
They  were  eager  for  adventure  and  very  much  feared 
that  Smith,  in  an  open  boat  committed  to  the  sea, 
would  not  journey  far  enough  to  satisfy  their  appe 
tite.  The  leader  heard  these  doubts  expressed  and 
promised  himself  some  amusement  at  the  expense 
of  his  eager  adventurers. 

Smith's  determination  was  to  thoroughly  explore 
1 6  241 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

Chesapeake  Bay.  It  was  no  light  undertaking. 
The  region  was  quite  unknown  to  him  and  peopled 
by  Indian  tribes  with  which  he  had  not  yet  come 
in  contact.  The  mere  matter  of  navigation  involved 
grave  dangers,  for  the  Bay  being  wide  and  open, 
is  subject  to  almost  the  full  force  of  wind  and  tide. 
But  in  the  face  of  all  these  difficulties,  and  many 
more  that  arose  with  the  progress  of  the  exploration, 
Smith  accomplished  his  purpose  and  that  so  effect 
ually  that  his  map  of  the  Bay  was  the  best  in  exist 
ence  until  recent  times,  and  is  still  acknowledged  to 
be  an  excellent  one.  The  work  was  at  that  time 
of  course  of  the  utmost  importance  and,  although  it 
took  the  authorities  at  home  some  time  to  see  it, 
information  of  the  country  and  inhabitants  of  Vir 
ginia  was  of  much  greater  value  than  fanciful  stories 
of  gold  mines  and  short  cuts  to  the  South  Sea. 

Our  adventurers  soon  found  that  exploring  with 
Captain  Smith  was  a  very  different  thing  from  a 
picnic  expedition  with  Captain  Newport.  They  en 
countered  rough  weather  from  the  outset.  Their 
hands  blistered  and  their  backs  ached  with  rowing 
against  a  strong  wind.  The  briny  waves  drenched 
their  clothes  and  soaked  their  bread.  Their  water 
keg  was  broached  by  some  accident  and  before  they 
could  replenish  it  they  came  so  near  to  being  fam 
ished  that  they  "  would  have  refused  two  barrels 
of  gold  for  one  of  puddle  water."  This  was  their 
condition  when  a  terrible  storm  struck  them,  carry- 

242 


A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 

ing  away  their  masts  and  sails.  By  good  fortune, 
rather  than  any  effort  of  their  own,  they  contrived  to 
gain  the  shelter  of  an  uninhabited  island  where  they 
went  ashore. 

The  men  who  had  been  fearful  lest  Captain  Smith 
should  not  venture  far  enough,  were  now  all  for 
returning  to  Jamestown,  but  their  leader  had  no 
mind  to  turn  back.  Opposition  and  difficulty  ever 
increased  his  determination  and  nerved  him  to 
greater  effort. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Smith  to  the  disheartened 
company,  "  remember  the  example  of  Sir  Ralph 
Lane's  company  in  worse  straits,  how  they  begged 
him  to  proceed  in  the  discovery  of  Moratico, 
saying  that  they  had  yet  a  dog  that  would  sustain 
them  for  a  while.  Then  what  shame  would  it  be 
to  us  to  return,  having  ample  provision  of  a  sort, 
and  scarce  able  to  say  where  we  have  been,  nor  yet 
heard  of  that  we  were  sent  to  seek.  You  can  not 
say  but  I  have  shared  with  you  in  the  worst  that  is 
past;  and  for  what  is  to  come,  of  lodging,  diet, 
or  whatsoever,  I  am  content  you  allot  the  worst 
part  to  me.  As  to  your  apprehensions  that  I  will 
lose  myself  in  these  unknown  large  waters,  or  be 
swallowed  up  in  some  stormy  gust,  abandon  these 
childish  fears,  for  worse  than  is  past  is  not  likely 
to  happen,  and  to  return  would  be  as  dangerous  as 
to  proceed.  Regain,  therefore,  your  old  spirits, 
for  return  I  will  not — if  God  please — till  I  have  seen 

243 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

the  Massawomekes,  found  Patawomek,  or  the  head 
of  this  bay  which  you  imagine  to  be  endless." 

They  remained  two  days  upon  the  island,  and 
when  the  storm  abated  resumed  their  journey  with 
fresh  sails  fashioned  from  their  shirts. 

The  exploring  party  had  been  out  just  two  weeks 
when  they  came  across  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac — 
or  Patawomek,  as  Smith  called  it.  They  sailed 
thirty  miles  up  the  river  without  sight  of  human 
being,  when  two  Indians  appeared  from  nowhere, 
after  their  mysterious  manner,  and  offered  to  serve 
them  as  guides.  Pretending  to  take  them  to  a 
village  at  the  head  of  a  creek,  the  wily  savages  neatly 
led  them  into  an  ambuscade.  Suddenly  the  English 
found  themselves  in  the  centre  of  three  or  four  hun 
dred  Indians,  "  strangely  painted,  grimed  and  dis 
guised,  shouting,  yelling  and  crying,  as  so  many 
spirits  from  hell  could  not  have  showed  more  ter 
rible."  Had  they  discharged  their  arrows  at  once, 
instead  of  wasting  time  in  capering  about,  the  ex 
plorers  must  have  been  killed  to  a  man.  But  these 
Indians,  who  had  not  yet  become  acquainted  with 
the  dreadful  "  spit-fires  "  of  the  strangers,  thought 
that  they  had  them  entirely  at  their  mercy  and  doubt 
less  proposed  to  reserve  them  for  the  torture. 
Smith  ordered  his  men  to  fire  a  volley  in  the  air  and 
the  effect  of  the  discharge  of  fifteen  muskets  at  once 
was  all  that  could  be  wished.  Many  of  the  savages 
fled  into  the  forest,  others  threw  themselves  prone 

244 


A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 

upon  the  ground  and  all  cast  aside  their  weapons  in 
sign  of  surrender.  Smith  learned  that  messengers 
from  Powhatan  had  instigated  these  people  to  attack 
the  expedition  and  had  urged  upon  them,  above  all, 
to  secure  the  white  men's  weapons.  Had  they 
known  the  terrible  nature  of  those  weapons  they 
certainly  would  not  have  indulged  in  any  such  fool 
ishness  and  they  did  not  think  kindly  of  their 
brothers,  the  Powhatans,  for  having  egged  them  on 
to  it.  Smith  established  friendly  relations  with 
these  people  who  never  occasioned  further  trouble. 

In  their  progress  the  voyagers  found  the  Indians 
almost  everywhere  in  arms  and  ready  to  attack  them, 
having  been  prompted  thereto  by  the  emissaries 
from  Werowocomico.  In  most  cases,  however,  the 
natives  were  converted  to  peaceful  good-will  without 
bloodshed,  the  flash  and  report  of  the  fire-arm  prov 
ing  to  be  a  powerful  pacifier.  Wherever  they  went, 
the  explorers  heard  of  the  Massawomekes.  They 
seem  to  have  been  a  particularly  warlike  tribe,  sit 
uated  near  the  head  of  the  bay,  who  were  dreaded 
and  hated  by  all  their  neighbors.  Smith  was  very 
anxious  to  see  these  people  and  proceeded  up  the  bay 
with  the  intention  of  visiting  their  country.  But 
his  men  were  succumbing  so  fast  to  the  fatigue  and 
exposure  that,  when  at  length  there  were  but  five  left 
fit  for  active  service,  he  deemed  it  wise  to  defer  the 
exploration  of  the  head  of  the  bay.  Before  turning 
homeward,  however,  he  sent  a  messenger  inland  to 

245 


the  country  of  the  Susquehannocks  who  had  the 
reputation  of  being  a  tribe  of  giants. 

After  a  delay  of  a  few  days  a  deputation  of  sixty 
warriors  from  the  Susquehannocks  visited  the  camp 
of  the  Englishmen.  They  were  bigger  and  more 
warlike  than  any  Indians  that  the  settlers  had  en 
countered  up  to  that  time,  and  it  was  agreeable  to 
Smith  to  find  that  they  had  come  prepared  to  make 
an  alliance  with  him  and,  indeed,  to  adopt  him  into 
the  tribe  as  a  chief.  In  token  of  their  good-will  they 
presented  him  with  a  bear's  skin  cloak,  such  as  was 
only  worn  by  great  Werowances,  eighteen  mantles, 
a  chain  of  beads  weighing  six  or  seven  pounds  and 
a  number  of  other  gewgaws.  Their  chief  was  a  man 
of  extraordinary  size,  even  for  a  Susquehannock. 
Smith  thus  describes  him: 

"  The  calf  of  his  leg  was  three-quarters  of  a  yard 
about,  and  all  the  rest  of  his  limbs  so  answerable  to 
that  proportion  that  he  seemed  the  goodliest  man  we 
had  ever  beheld.  His  hair  on  one  side  was  long, 
the  other  shorn  close  with  a  ridge  over  his  crown  like 
a  cock's  comb.  His  arrows  were  five  quarters  of  a 
yard  long,  headed  with  flints  or  splinters  of  stone  in 
form  like  a  heart,  an  inch  broad  and  an  inch  and  a 
half  or  more  long.  These  he  wore  at  his  back  in  a 
wolf's  skin  for  his  quiver,  his  bow  in  the  one  hand 
and  his  club  in  the  other." 

These  people  proposed  that  Smith  should  assume 
the  headship  of  the  tribe  and  lead  them  in  war 

246 


A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 

against  the  Massawomekes  and  other  enemies.  Had 
our  hero  entertained  any  such  ambition  as  that  with 
which  he  was  charged  by  Wingfield  and  his  sup 
porters,  here  was  an  excellent  opportunity  to  set  up 
a  kingdom.  The  Susquehannocks  were  not  only 
exceptionally  warlike,  but  also  one  of  the  most 
numerous  tribes  in  that  part  of  America.  No 
doubt,  with  a  man  like  Smith  at  their  head,  they 
could  soon  have  established  sovereignty  over  hun 
dreds  of  miles  of  territory.  It  is  needless  to  say, 
however,  that  the  offer  was  declined  as  tactfully  as 
possible  and  the  expedition  turned  homeward. 

Smith  arrived  in  Jamestown  just  as  another  crisis 
in  the  affairs  of  the  colony  had  been  reached.  Rat- 
cliffe,  the  President,  had  shamefully  abused  his  office 
for  some  time  past.  He  had  taken  for  his  private 
use  the  best  things  in  the  public  stores,  he  had  beaten 
several  of  the  settlers,  with  little  or  no  provocation, 
and  had  diverted  a  number  of  laborers  from  useful 
employment  to  the  task  of  building  him  a  pleasure- 
house  in  the  woods.  Smith  appeared  on  the  scene 
when  the  wrath  of  the  colonists  had  almost  risen 
beyond  bounds.  Had  he  not  arrived  when  he  did 
they  would  probably  have  taken  Ratcliffe's  life.  As 
it  was,  they  would  hear  of  nothing  short  of  his  de 
position  and  invited  Smith  to  take  his  place  at  the 
head  of  the  government.  Smith,  however,  who  was 
the  active  instrument  in  disposing  of  the  obnoxious 
officer,  hardly  thought  that  he  could  accept  the  pro- 

247 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

posal  with  a  good  grace  and  so  persuaded  them  to 
allow  him  to  substitute  Scrivener  for  himself.  So, 
with  this  change,  the  summer  passed  in  peace,  and 
satisfactory  progress  was  made  in  the  rebuilding  of 
the  settlement. 

The  colony  had  never  been  in  a  better  condition 
than  now  to  make  good  progress.  The  settlers  were 
well  content  with  the  rule  of  Smith  and  Scrivener, 
who  always  knew  just  what  they  wanted  to  do  and 
how  to  do  it.  Work  and  rations  were  fairly  appor 
tioned.  Gentlemen  were  required  to  take  their  turn 
at  labor  with  the  rest.  A  military  company  was 
formed  and  drilled,  and  the  Indians  were  kept  in 
check  by  the  practice  of  diplomacy  and  a  show  of 
force.  This  happy  state  of  things  was  completely 
upset  by  the  return  of  Newport  with  instructions' 
from  his  employers  to  discover  the  South  Sea,  to 
bring  back  gold,  and  to  search  for  the  survivors  of 
the  lost  Roanoke  colony.  But  this  was  not  the  sum 
of  Newport's  mad  mission.  He  was  also  charged 
with  the  coronation  of  Powhatan,  to  whom  King 
James  sent  a  present  of  a  wash-basin  and  pitcher  and 
an  Elizabethan  bed  with  its  furnishings.  Newport 
failed  to  bring  the  food  and  other  things  of  which 
the  settlers  stood  in  such  constant  need,  but  instead 
landed  seventy  Dutchmen  and  Poles  for  the  purpose 
of  establishing  manufactories  of  "pitch,  tar,  glass 
and  soap-ashes."  By  this  time,  Smith  had  been 
regularly  elected  President.  He  was  thoroughly 

248 


A  TURN  IN  THE  TIDE 

disgusted  with  the  foolish  instructions  of  the  London 
company,  and  when  Newport  undertook  to  undo 
much  of  the  good  work  that  had  been  accomplished 
with  so  great  trouble,  even  going  so  far  as  to  restore 
Ratcliffe  to  the  presidency,  Smith  bluntly  gave  him 
his  choice  of  immediately  taking  himself  and  his  ship 
off,  or  of  being  detained  for  a  year  that  he  might 
gain  the  experience  that  he  was  sadly  in  need  of. 
Newport  wisely  chose  the  former  alternative  and 
sailed  away,  having,  as  before,  sown  the  seeds  of 
trouble  from  which  the  colonists  were  to  reap  a  bitter 
crop  before  long. 


249 


XX 

DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 


SMITH  POES  ON  A  FORAGING  EXPEDITION  AND  ENGAGES  IN  A 
CONTEST  OF  WITS  WITH  POWHATAN — DOCTOR  RUSSELL  AND 
CAPTAIN  SMITH  GET  INTO  A  TIGHT  PLACE — AND  GET  OUT 
AGAIN — POWHATAN  PLANS  TO  MURDER  HIS  ADOPTED  SON — 
POCAHONTAS  WARNS  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  INTENDED 
TREACHERY — THE  FEAST  AND  THE  DISAPPOINTED  WAITERS — 
HOW  EIGHT  DESIGNING  INDIANS  AFFORD  GOODLY  ENTERTAIN 
MENT  TO  THREE  ENGLISHMEN — AND  HOW  THEY  ARE  NEATLY 
LAID  BY  THE  HEELS  BY  THEIR  INTENDED  VICTIMS — "THE 
ENGLISH  SLEEP  LIKE  THE  VILLAGE  DOG,  WITH  ONE  EYE 
COCKED  " — HOW  THE  AMBUSHERS  WERE  AMBUSHED  AND  THE 

CAPTORS    CAPTURED — "  IF    THERE    BE    ONE    AMONG    YOU    BOLD 
ENOUGH   TO  ESSAY  A  SINGLE  COMBAT,  LET   HIM   COME  OUT !  " 

WITH  the  approach  of  winter  the  colony  of  James 
town  found  itself  in  hardly  better  condition  than  at 
the  same  time  in  the  previous  year.  It  is  true  that 
their  health  was  now  better  but  they  had  many  more 
mouths  to  feed  and  rather  less  chance  of  obtaining 
provisions  from  the  Indians.  These,  as  we  know, 
had  been  unfriendly  for  some  months  past,  due  to 
Newport's  reckless  generosity  towards  them  and 
particularly  to  his  foolish  gift  of  swords,  which 
Smith  refused  to  duplicate.  The  more  experienced 
among  the  settlers  had  protested  strongly  against 

250 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

the  crowning  of  Powhatan,  fearing  that  the  savage 
would  interpret  the  ceremony  as  a  measure  of  pro 
pitiation  and  a  sign  of  dread  on  the  part  of  the 
English.  And  this  proved  to  be  the  case.  It  was 
soon  evident  that  the  great  Werowance  had  risen 
mightily  in  self-esteem  in  consequence  of  the  silly 
coronation  and  that  his  respect  for  the  settlers  had 
fallen  in  proportion.  The  neighboring  bands,  acting 
on  his  orders,  refused  to  furnish  corn  on  any  terms, 
and  messengers  sent  to  Werowocomico  returned 
empty  handed,  telling  of  having  been  treated  with  a 
high-handed  contempt.  After  Scrivener  and  Percy 
had  made  futile  expeditions,  it  became  clear  that, 
as  usual,  Smith  must  attend  to  the  matter  in  person 
if  the  colony  was  to  be  saved  from  starvation. 

Smith  immediately  began  preparations  for  a  visit 
to  the  capital  of  Powhatan,  whose  spies  doubtless 
gave  him  early  information  of  the  fact,  for,  just  at 
this  time,  an  embassy  arrived  from  the  newly- 
crowned  "  emperor"  demanding  workmen  to  build 
him  an  English  house  to  contain  the  gorgeous  bed 
stead  that  his  brother,  the  King  of  England,  had 
sent  to  him.  He  also  asked  for  fifty  swords,  as 
many  muskets,  a  cock  and  hen,  a  large  quantity  of 
copper  and  a  bushel  of  beads.  This  modest  requisi 
tion  he  expected  would  be  filled  forthwith,  and  in 
return  for  his  compliance  he  promised  to  give  Cap 
tain  Smith  a  shipload  of  corn,  provided  he  came  for 
it  in  person.  Here  was  a  very  palpable  trap  and 

251 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

something  like  a  veiled  defiance.  Smith  was  as  little 
prone  to  shirk  danger  as  he  was  to  decline  a  chal 
lenge,  and  he  returned  answer  that  he  should  pres 
ently  be  at  Werowocomico.  In  the  meanwhile  he 
was  sending  three  Germans  and  two  Englishmen 
to  build  the  projected  palace,  but,  for  the  rest  of  the 
request,  he  thought  that  he  had  better  bring  the 
things  mentioned  by  the  Chief  himself,  for  he  feared 
that  the  messengers  might  hurt  themselves  with  the 
swords  and  muskets. 

Leaving  Scrivener  in  charge  of  the  settlement, 
Smith,  with  forty-six  volunteers,  embarked  in  the 
pinnace  and  two  barges.  George  Percy  commanded 
one  of  the  latter  and  Francis  West,  brother  of  Lord 
Delaware,  the  other.  The  journey  by  water  was  a 
tolerably  long  one  for  open  boats,  and  they  broke 
it  by  a  stay  of  two  or  three  days  at  Kecoughten,  a 
village  occupying  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Hampton.  The  Chief  received  them  with  genuine 
friendliness  and  warned  Smith  that  Powhatan  con 
templated  treachery.  Here  the  party  "  kept  Christ 
mas  among  the  savages,  where  they  were  never  more 
merry,  nor  fed  on  more  plenty  of  good  oysters,  fish, 
flesh,  wild  fowl  and  good  bread;  nor  never  had 
better  fires  in  England  than  the  dry,  smoky  houses 
of  Kecoughten."  The  enthusiasm  with  which  the 
chroniclers  among  trie  colonists  expatiate  upon  such 
simple  comforts  as  these  when  it  happens  to  be  their 
good  fortune  to  experience  them,  gives  us  a  very 

252 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

gooo  idea  of  the  miserable  condition  that  generally 
prevailed  at  Jamestown. 

When  at  length  the  party  arrived  at  Werowoco- 
mico,  they  found  the  river  frozen  over  to  a  distance 
of  half  a  mile  from  shore.  Smith  overcame  this 
obstruction  by  leaving  his  boats  and  wading  to  land 
with  a  squad  of  men.  The  entire  absence  of  wel 
come  was  a  sinister  indication,  but  Smith,  unabashed, 
took  possession  of  a  deserted  wigwam  on  the  bank 
and  sent  messengers  to  Powhatan  for  provisions. 
These  were  forthcoming,  and  the  chieftain  agreed 
to  meet  the  English  captain  the  next  morning  in  a 
formal  pow-wow. 

Before  noon  the  following  day,  Captain  Smith 
and  his  handful  of  men  went  up  to  the  town,  putting 
a  bold  face  on  what  they  all  believed  to  be  a  very 
bad  matter.  Once  more  the  two  chiefs  met  in  the 
famous  "  king's  house."  Powhatan  received  Smith 
with  the  utmost  coolness,  and  it  was  noticeable  that 
he  did  not  address  him  by  his  tribal  name.  When 
the  matter  of  food  supplies  came  up,  he  declared  that 
he  had  so  little  to  spare  that  he  was  loath  to  ex 
change  it  for  copper  which  his  people  could  not  eat. 
As  a  special  favor  to  the  English  and  in  consider 
ation  of  their  great  need  he  would  stretch  a  point  to 
let  them  have  thirty  bushels  in  exchange  for  as  many 
swords,  but  he  was  really  not  at  all  anxious  to  make 
the  trade.  Indeed,  so  short  was  the  food  supply  at 
Werowocomico  that  he  hoped  that  the  English 

253 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

would  speedily  depart  for  he  could  ill  afford  to  enter- 
tain  so  many  hungry  stomachs. 

"  As  to  that,"  replied  Smith,  "  we  have  come  at 
your  invitation,  and  will  delay  no  longer  than  is 
necessary  to  effect  our  purpose,  which  is  to  secure,  at 
a  fair  price,  so  much  corn  and  venison  as  you  can 
readily  spare  from  the  well-filled  stores  of  Wero- 
wocomico." 

Each  had  intimated  that  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  actual  conditions  at  the  headquarters  of  the 
other,  but  Smith  was  at  a  loss  to  determine  whether 
Powhatan  had  merely  guessed  at  the  urgent  needs 
of  the  colonists,  or  whether  he  was  really  informed 
of  the  state  of  things  at  Jamestown.  As  yet  he  had 
no  suspicion  of  the  truth,  which  was  that  the  Dutch 
men  sent  to  build  the  Chief's  house  had  betrayed  the 
colony.  Tempted  by  the  abundant  food  and  com 
fortable  lodgings  at  the  capital  of  the  Powhatans, 
they  had  secretly  sold  their  allegiance  to  the  Chief, 
intending  to  remain  with  the  Indians  and  marry  into 
their  tribe. 

Powhatan  continued  the  negotiations  in  the  same 
independent  tone,  declaring  that  he  would  exchange 
corn  for  swords  and  muskets  and  for  nothing  else. 
At  length  this  persistent  attitude  provoked  Smith  to 
a  decisive  reply. 

"  Let  me  speak  the  Werowance  plain  as  I  would 
that  he  should  speak  to  me.  We  will  part  with  our 
swords  and  muskets  no  sooner  than  we  will  with  our 

254 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

clothes.  Why,  indeed,  should  we  do  so,  when  by 
a  use  of  these  same  we  can  readily  get  all  the  corn 
we  want  and  still  retain  them?  We  came  here  as 
honest  and  well-meaning  men  to  get  provisions  and 
get  them  we  will,  if  not  by  fair  means  then  by  foul. 
If  blood  be  shed  in  this  matter,  upon  your  head  be  it, 
for  I  am,  and  ever  have  been,  willing,  in  good  faith, 
to  uphold  the  friendship  which  we  plighted  to  one 
another." 

This  language  was  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood 
and  Powhatan  proceeded  upon  another  tack.  He 
assured  his  dear  son  that  his  intention  in  the  matter 
had  been  misunderstood.  There  were,  it  was  true, 
no  spare  supplies  in  Werowocomico,  but  messengers 
should  at  once  be  sent  into  the  surrounding  country 
to  collect  foodstuff  and  the  English  Werowance 
would  in  good  time  be  furnished  with  as  much  as  he 
desired.  Of  course  this  was  only  a  ruse  to  gain 
time,  and  as  such  Smith  recognized  it,  but  he  was 
not  himself  averse  to  postponing  conclusions,  since 
his  boats  and  men  could  not  join  him  for  some  days. 
He  immediately  set  gangs  of  Indians  to  work  in 
breaking  up  the  ice,  explaining  that  he  would  need 
the  pinnace  to  load  his  supplies  upon  when  they 
arrived.  Powhatan  was  not  in  the  least  deceived 
by  this  explanation  and  himself  sent  to  the  various 
chiefs  under  his  dominion  for  reinforcements.  In 
the  meantime,  wishing  to  establish  an  alibi  in  con 
nection  with  the  murder  of  Captain  Smith,  which 

255 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

he  had  planned,  he  withdrew  to  a  neighboring 
village. 

The  next  day,  there  were  few  Indians  in  evidence, 
although  several  hundreds  of  them  lay  concealed 
within  arrow  shot.  Smith's  men  were  engaged  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  whilst  he  and  Doctor  Russell 
were  consulting  together  in  a  wigwam  at  some  dis 
tance.  Suddenly  they  became  aware  of  the  approach 
of  scores  of  silent  savages  from  every  direction. 
They  were  armed,  and  a  glance  was  sufficient  to  per 
ceive  that  their  intentions  were  evil.  Two  or  three 
carried  torches  with  which  they  proposed  to  fire  the 
wigwam  and  then  brain  the  white  men  as  they  should 
run  out.  Russell  was  for  instantly  rushing  upon 
the  foe,  but  Smith,  who  never  lost  his  head  in  any 
emergency,  checked  him. 

"  Nay,"  he  said,  laying  his  hand  upon  the  other's 
arm.  "  Rest  we  here  until  they  be  close  upon  the 
house  when  they  durst  not  shoot  their  arrows  for 
fear  of  slaying  one  the  other.  Then  will  we  sally 
against  them  and  fend  ourselves  from  their  toma 
hawks  as  best  we  can." 

The  advice  was  excellent,  for  had  they  exposed 
themselves  otherwise  they  must  have  been  killed  at 
the  first  discharge.  Each  had  his  pistols  with  him, 
and  these  they  quietly  primed  and  with  composure 
awaited  the  oncoming  savages.  At  length  they  were 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  house,  and  at  the  word 
from  Smith,  Doctor  Russell  sprang  out  at  his  side. 

256 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

Four  Indians  fell  at  the  discharge  of  the  pistols 
which  were  fired  in  their  very  faces.  Those  in  front 
hastily  leaped  out  of  the  line  of  the  smoking 
weapons,  making  a  lane  into  which  the  Englishmen 
dashed,  swinging  their  swords  right  and  left.  The 
sortie  was  so  sudden  and  unexpected  that  Smith  and 
his  companion  were  clear  through  the  circle  of 
savages  and  speeding  towards  the  river  before  the 
Indians  could  recover  from  their  surprise.  They 
might  easily  have  overtaken  the  Englishmen,  being 
much  more  fleet  of  foot,  but  the  appearance  of 
Smith's  men,  who  had  been  warned  by  the  pistol 
reports,  checked  all  thought  of  pursuit. 

This  episode  made  it  evident  that  Powhatan  had 
determined  upon  desperate  measures,  and  it  also 
satisfied  Smith  that  he  could  no  longer  look  for  any 
immunity  on  account  of  his  membership  in  the  tribe. 
The  next  morning  Powhatan,  his  plot  having  failed, 
returned  to  the  town  and  sent  a  messenger  to  Smith 
with  a  strip  of  wampum  in  token  of  peace.  He  was 
exceedingly  sorry  that  some  of  his  people  had  rashly 
taken  advantage  of  his  temporary  absence  on  the 
business  of  the  captain's  supplies  to  attack  their 
brother  chief.  The  culprits,  fearing  his  wrath,  had 
taken  to  the  woods,  but  on  their  return  they  should 
be  severely  punished.  Tomorrow  Powhatan  would 
load  the  ship  of  the  English  Werowance  with  corn 
and  he  hoped  that  they  would  part  good  friends. 
To  all  of  this  Smith  contented  himself  by  replying 
17  257 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

that  he  should  be  ready  to  receive  the  corn  when  it 
arrived  and  to  pay  a  fair  price  for  it  in  any  com 
modity  but  weapons. 

Smith  thought  it  hardly  possible  that  Powhatan 
would  venture  another  attack  now  that  the  pinnace 
with  reinforcements  was  close  at  hand,  and  he  might 
have  been  taken  by  surprise  but  for  a  timely  warning. 
As  he  lay  in  his  wigwam  late  that  night,  thinking 
over  the  many  weighty  affairs  depending  upon  his 
disposition,  he  heard  his  name  called  softly  as  out  of 
the  ground.  At  length  he  realized  that  some  one 
was  whispering  under  the  edge  of  the  wigwam. 
Going  out  cautiously,  he  found  Pocahontas  awaiting 
him.  She  had  come  at  the  risk  of  her  life  to  warn 
him,  for  she  declared  that  if  her  father  learned  that 
she  had  betrayed  his  secret,  he  would  kill  her  with 
his  own  hand.  In  agitated  whispers,  broken  by  her 
tears,  she  informed  her  adopted  brother  that  it  had 
been  arranged  to  delay  the  loading  on  the  following 
day,  so  that  Smith  would  be  unexpectedly  com 
pelled  to  spend  another  night  on  shore.  That  after 
dark,  a  feast  would  be  borne  to  him  by  eight  men 
who  would  wait  upon  him  and  the  two  gentlemen 
who  usually  supped  with  him.  That,  at  a  favorable 
opportunity,  the  attendant  Indians  would  seize  the 
arms  of  the  Englishmen  and  give  a  signal  to  the 
band  of  warriors  by  whom  the  wigwam  would  be 
surrounded.  Having  told  her  story,  the  Indian 
maiden  vanished  silently  into  the  night. 

258 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

Smith  of  course  laid  his  plans  to  circumvent  his 
astute  adoptive  father,  but  he  made  no  effort  to  ex 
pedite  the  loading  which  was  delayed  as  he  had  been 
led  to  expect,  so  that  night  fell  before  it  had  been 
completed.  Smith,  Doctor  Russell  and  George 
Percy  sat  down  to  supper  as  usual  that  night,  just  as 
eight  unarmed,  but  stalwart,  Indians,  who  looked 
little  like  waiters,  came  to  the  wigwam  laden  with 
viands  which  Powhatan  begged  his  dear  son  and 
friends  to  accept.  They  were  pleased  to  do  so,  and 
proceeded  to  attack  the  bountiful  supply  of  good 
things  without  delay.  But,  to  the  dismay  of  the 
waiters,  the  Englishmen  did  not  lay  aside  their  arms. 
On  the  contrary,  each  of  them  had  four  pistols  in 
his  belt  and  a  fifth  cocked  and  primed  by  his  side 
upon  the  ground.  Furthermore,  they  lined  them 
selves  with  their  backs  against  the  side  of  the  wig 
wam,  so  that  they  constantly  faced  their  anxious 
attendants  who  had  thus  no  chance  to  spring  upon 
them  unawares.  The  Indians  were  plainly  non 
plussed  and  disconcerted.  The  feasters,  whilst  eat 
ing  leisurely,  enjoyed  to  the  full  the  discomfiture  of 
their  intended  captors.  Smith  vowed  that  it  was 
the  goodliest  entertainment  he  had  had  since  land 
ing  in  Virginia.  When  our  adventurers  had  filled 
their  stomachs,  they  quietly  levelled  their  pistols  at 
the  waiters  and  signed  to  them  to  keep  silence  and  to 
lie  down.  They  then  bound  each  with  cord,  allow 
ing  them  sufficient  freedom  of  the  legs  to  hobble. 

259 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

Pushing  two  of  these  before  him  as  a  shield,  Smith 
threw  back  the  skin  flap  and  stood  in  the  entrance 
of  the  wigwam. 

"  Warriors  of  the  Powhatans !  "  he  cried,  address 
ing  the  concealed  savages,  to  whom  he  knew  that 
the  light  of  the  fire  at  his  back  made  him  plainly 
visible.  "  Warriors  of  the  Powhatans !  The 
English  sleep  like  the  village  dog,  with  one  eye 
cocked,  but  you  think  to  find  us  snoring  like  old 
women  when  you  steal  upon  us  in  the  night.  We 
also  have  learned  something  of  the  ambuscade  since 
coming  among  you.  What  ho,  my  men !  " 

An  answering  shout  ran  along  in  the  rear  of  the 
line  of  lurking  savages,  conveying  to  them  the 
uncomfortable  announcement  that  they  had  lain 
shadowed  by  a  band  of  English. 

"  Back  to  your  wigwams,  valiants ! "  continued 
Smith  derisively,  "  and  dream  of  conquests  that  ye 
are  not  fit  to  achieve.  If  there  be  one  among  you 
bold  enough  to  essay  a  single  combat  let  him  come 
out  with  his  club  and  I  with  my  bare  hands  will 
meet  him.  No?  Then  away  with  you!  Your 
brother  assassins  will  I  hold  in  surety  of  a  peaceful 
night's  slumber."  With  that  he  re-entered  the  wig 
wam,  pulling  his  bound  Indians  after  him. 

The  pinnace  was  loaded  without  hitch  the  next 
morning.  Indeed,  the  Indians,  who  appeared  to  be 
much  depressed,  had  no  greater  desire  than  to  see 
the  strangers  depart.  When  all  was  ready,  Smith 

260 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

handed  to  them  a  liberal  recompense  for  the  pro 
visions  they  had  supplied,  although  their  repeated 
treacheries  would  have  fully  justified  him,  one  would 
think,  in  refusing  payment.  The  barges  were  yet 
empty  and  Smith  determined  to  go  on  to  Pamaunke, 
the  seat  of  his  old  enemy  Opechancanough,  and  see 
if  he  could  not  induce  that  chief  to  complete  the 
supply. 

The  expedition  had  no  sooner  left  Werowoco- 
mico,  than  two  of  the  renegade  Dutchmen  journeyed 
with  all  haste  to  Jamestown.  There  they  purported 
to  deliver  a  message  from  the  President,  and  by 
means  of  this  ruse  secured  a  number  of  weapons, 
tools,  and  other  useful  articles,  besides  persuading 
six  of  their  countrymen  to  desert  the  colony  and, 
like  themselves,  throw  in  their  lot  with  the  Indians. 


261 


XXI. 

SOME  AMBUSCADES 


SMITH  PAYS  A  VISIT  TO  OPECHANCANOUGH  AND  DECLINES  TO 
WALK  INTO  A  TRAP — "  DROP  YOUR  ARMS  ON  THE  INSTANT 
OR  YOUR  CHIEF'S  LIFE  is  FORFEIT  " — SMITH  AFFORDS  THE 
PAMAUNKES  AN  OBJECT  LESSON  AND  READS  THEM  A  LECTURE 
— A  MESSENGER  WITH  SAD  NEWS  FROM  JAMESTOWN — SMITH 

LOSES  AN  OLD  FRIEND  AND  A  FAITHFUL  ALLY — THE  INDIANS 

SET  A  TRAP  FOR  THE  WHITE  WfiROWANCE  AND  FALL  INTO  IT 
THEMSELVES — SMITH  LOADS  HIS  BOATS  AND  RETURNS  TO 
JAMESTOWN — HE  FINDS  THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  A  CONDITION 
OF  ANARCHY  AND  THREATENED  WITH  STARVATION — AND 
PROMPTLY  PROCEEDS  TO  RESTORE  LAW  AND  ORDER — THE 
COLONISTS  ARE  GIVEN  TO  UNDERSTAND  THAT  "  HE  THAT  WILL 
NOT  WORK  SHALL  NOT  EAT." 

AT  Pamaunke,  Opechancanough  resorted  to  the 
same  species  of  dalliance  and  subterfuge  that  Pow- 
hatan  had  practised  so  ineffectually.  He  claimed 
to  have  but  a  few  bushels  of  corn  to  spare  and  set 
the  price  up  so  high  that  Smith  laughed  in  his  face. 
This  fencing  was  carried  on  for  several  days,  the 
real  object  being  to  permit  the  return  of  a  number 
of  warriors  who  happened  to  be  absent  from  the 
village,  likely  enough  being  part  of  the  reinforce 
ments  that  Powhatan  had  summoned  from  his 
under-chiefs.  When  these  had  arrived,  Opechan- 

262 


SOME  AMBUSCADES 

canough  promised  to  have  a  more  satisfactory  quan 
tity  of  supplies  for  the  English  captain  on  the  fol 
lowing  day.  Smith,  accompanied  by  sixteen  men, 
accordingly  went  up  to  a  large  house  at  the  time 
appointed,  prepared  to  negotiate  the  exchange. 
Opechancanough  received  the  party  with  the  appear 
ance  of  utmost  cordiality  and  declared  that  he  had 
at  great  pains  collected  a  large  quantity  of  provi 
sions  for  his  guests.  In  token  of  his ''friendship  to 
Smith  he  had  prepared  for  him  a  personal  present 
contained  in  a  heap  of  baskets  stacked  up  outside 
the  wigwam.  The  Chief  invited  his  white  brother 
to  step  out  and  inspect  the  gift.  Smith  went  to  the 
door  and  looked  around.  His  quick  eye,  sharp 
ened  by  suspicion,  detected  a  score  or  more  of  arrow 
heads  projecting  from  over  the  top  of  a  fallen  tree 
at  about  twenty  yards  distance.  The  bows  were 
drawn  ready  to  let  fly  at  him  as  soon  as  he  appeared 
in  the  open. 

Smith  turned  to  the  treacherous  chief  and  in  no 
uncertain  terms  taxed  him  with  his  perfidy.  He 
asked  him  if  he  were  not  ashamed  to  stoop  to  such 
dirty  tricks,  so  ill-becoming  a  man  and  a  brave.  He 
professed  himself  willing  to  believe  that  Opechan 
canough  possessed  the  courage  that  repute  gave  him 
credit  for  and  proposed  to  afford  him  an  opportunity 
to  prove  it.  Let  them  two,  suggested  Smith,  go 
upon  a  barren  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river  and 
settle  their  difference  whilst  yet  their  people  had  not 

263 


come  to  blows.  Each  should  take  the  goods  about 
which  they  experienced  so  much  difficulty  in  coming 
to  an  understanding  and  the  victor  would  be  en 
titled  to  the  whole.  In  this  way  might  they  reach 
a  conclusion  like  honorable  gentlemen  and  avoid 
much  needless  trouble.  This  proposal  was  not  at 
all  to  the  liking  of  the  Indian,  who  desired  nothing 
so  little  as  to  harm  his  brother  the  Werowance  of 
the  English,  whose  groundless  suspicions  deeply 
pained  him. 

"  Opechancanough ! "  replied  Smith  to  these 
lying  protestations,  "  it  is  not  meet  that  we  should 
waste  time  in  idle  badinage,  for  whether  your  words 
be  spoken  in  jest  or  mere  deceit  they  do  not  serve 
to  further  my  purpose.  Your  plenty  is  well  be- 
known  to  me  and  a  reasonable  part  of  it  I  must 
have  and  am  willing  to  pay  you  therefor  a  reason 
able  compensation.  When  last  I  visited  Pamaunke 
you  promised  to  provide  me  with  all  the  provisions 
I  might  ask  when  I  should  come  again.  Now  I 
claim  the  fulfillment  of  that  promise,  nor  will  I  abide 
any  refusal  though  it  be  couched  in  honeyed  words. 
Here  are  my  wares.  Take  you  your  choice  of  them. 
The  rest  I  will  barter  with  your  people  on  fair 
terms." 

Smith  had  hardly  completed  this  politic  and  not 
unreasonable  speech,  when  Doctor  Russell,  who  had 
been  left  with  the  boats,  hastily  entered  the  house, 
and  going  to  Smith's  side  warned  him  that  the  place 

264 


SOME  AMBUSCADES 

i 

was  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  armed  warriors, 
who  were  evidently  only  awaiting  a  signal  to  make 
an  attack.  Smith  looked  at  Opechancanough  who 
was  evidently  disconcerted  by  Russell's  appearance 
and  the  whispered  conference  that  followed.  There 
was  no  doubt  whatever  in  the  Captain's  mind  about 
the  Indian  chieftain's  evil  intentions.  To  parley 
farther  would  be  worse  than  useless.  To  sally  forth 
in  the  face  of  the  awaiting  bowmen  would  surely 
be  to  lose  some  of  his  men.  Decisive  action  was 
necessary  and  that  without  an  instant's  delay. 
Smith's  mind  was  quickly  made  up  and  his  design 
executed  with  equal  celerity. 

On  one  side  of  the  wigwam  were  grouped  the 
Englishmen.  On  the  other  Opechancanough  stood 
in  the  midst  of  forty  of  his  tallest  warriors,  him 
self  towering  above  them  all.  Whilst  Smith  had 
carried  on  his  hurried  conversation  with  the  doctor, 
the  Pamaunke  engaged  in  excited  debate  with  his 
braves.  Smith  watched  his  formidable  adversary 
like  a  hawk  and  at  a  favorable  opportunity  bounded 
into  the  midst  of  the  surrounding  warriors  and,  be 
fore  a  hand  could  be  raised,  had  the  Chief  fast  by 
the  scalp-lock  and  a  pistol  presented  at  his  breast. 
Not  an  Indian  dared  interfere  as  Smith  dragged  his 
captive  to  the  other  side  of  the  house  whilst  he  cried 
to  Percy  and  West  to  guard  the  doors. 

"  Drop  your  arms  on  the  instant  or  your  Chief's 
life  is  forfeit!"  cried  Smith  to  the  amazed  war- 

265 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

riors.  They  obeyed  with  little  hesitation  and  the 
Englishmen  gathered  up  their  weapons. 

Still  with  his  fingers  entwined  in  Opechan- 
canough's  hair,  Captain  Smith  drew  him  out  of  the 
house  and  into  the  presence  of 'the  warriors  waiting 
in  ambush.  Some  of  his  men  carried  out  the  seized 
weapons  and  threw  them  in  a  heap  before  the  captain 
and  his  captive,  whilst  the  disarmed  braves  were 
made  to  form  a  group  behind  them.  This  humiliat 
ing  spectacle  had  an  instantaneous  effect  upon  the 
spectators.  Overcome  with  shame  and  apprehen 
sion  they  bowed  their  heads  in  despair  and  allowed 
their  weapons  to  drop  from  their  hands. 

"  Pamaunkes !  "  said  Smith,  addressing  them  in 
stern  tones.  "  You  have  gone  about  to  compass 
my  death.  What  have  I  done  that  you  should  meet 
my  honorable  offices  with  such  foul  treachery?  I 
promised  you  my  friendship  as  your  Chief  promised 
his  to  me.  In  what  manner  hath  he  kept  that  prom 
ise?  But,  despite  your  presumption,  I  am  willing 
to  overlook  that  which  is  passed  and  take  you  again 
into  my  favor.  Now,  mark  me  well!  for  I  speak 
you  in  all  earnestness!  If  you  repeat  your  treach 
eries  or  shoot  but  one  arrow  to  the  hurt  of  any 
of  my  people,  then  will  I  surely  visit  the  Pamaunkes 
with  a  bitter  vengeance.  I  am  not  now  powerless, 
half  drowned  and  frozen,  as  when  you  captured  me. 
Yet  for  your  good  usage  and  sparing  of  me  then, 
am  I  kindly  disposed  towards  you.  In  all  friendli- 

266 


SOME  AMBUSCADES 

ness  I  came  to  barter  with  you  and  you  undertook 
to  freight  my  ship.  That  shall  you  do,  receiving 
therefor  a  proper  recompense." 

The  Indians  expressed  their  willingness  to  abide 
by  these  conditions  and  declared  that  every  soul  in 
the  band  should  be  immediately  engaged  in  the  task 
of  loading  the  vessel,  leaving  the  matter  of  payment 
to  be  decided  by  the  English  Werowance  later. 

"So  be  it!"  said  Smith.  "Your  Chief  and 
brethren  are  free.  They  may  take  their  weapons 
and  go.  But  beware!  For  if  again  you  play  me 
false  I  shall  show  no  such  mercy  upon  you." 

The  band  now  set  to  work  to  load  the  barges  with 
all  possible  speed,  for,  like  the  men  of  Werowoco- 
mico  after  trying  conclusions  with  our  Captain, 
they  were  only  too  anxious  to  have  the  English  be 
gone.  They  were  just  at  the  point  of  departure 
when  there  arrived  a  tattered  and  footsore  white 
man,  pinched  with  hunger  and  cold.  He  had 
reached  the  extremity  of  his  endurance  when  he 
staggered  into  the  camp  of  his  people  at  Pamaunke. 
This  brave  fellow  was  Master  Ricjiard  Wyffin,  one 
of  the  gentlemen  adventurers  who  had  arrived  with 
Captain  Nelson  in  the  Phoenix.  After  being  fed 
and  warmed,  he  told  his  story  to  Smith.  It 
appeared  that  some  two  weeks  previous  Scrivener, 
the  acting  President,  together  with  Captain  Waldo 
and  Anthony  Gosnold,  newly  appointed  members  of 
the  Council,  and  eight  men,  had  left  the  settlement 

267 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

on  a  visit  to  Hog  Island,  where  the  colonists  kept 
some  swine  that  had  been  imported  from  the  West 
Indies.  A  sudden  storm  overtook  the  party  and 
capsized  their  boat.  All  were  drowned  and  their 
bodies  some  days  later  were  recovered  by  Indians. 
Wyffin,  at  the  grave  hazard  of  his  life,  had  set  out 
alone  to  carry  the  sad  tidings  to  the  President. 
After  wandering  out  of  his  way  for  several  days, 
the  messenger  reached  Werowocomico,  where  he  ex 
pected  to  find  Smith.  Here  he  would  have  fallen 
a  prey  to  the  vengeance  of  Powhatan's  warriors 
had  not  Pocahontas  hidden  him  and,  when  oppor 
tunity  served,  set  him  upon  the  road  to  Pamaunke. 
Smith  was  much  affected  by  the  news  of  the  death 
of  Scrivener,  for  whom  he  had  a  strong  regard  and 
whose  value  to  the  colony  he  fully  appreciated. 

Durihg  the  loading  of  the  barges  Smith  had  had 
a  heart  to  heart  talk  with  Opechancanough.  That 
chief,  now  thoroughly  subdued  in  spirit  and  per 
suaded  that  frankness  might  better  serve  his  inter 
ests  than  deception,  gave  the  Englishman  a  fairly 
truthful  account  of  the  actual  state  of  affairs.  From 
this  and  his  own  observation,  Smith  reached  the 
conclusion  that  the  stores  of  Pamaunke  could  not 
well  stand  the  strain  of  freighting  both  his  barges. 
He  decided,  therefore,  to  be  satisfied  with  one  barge 
load,  determining  to  return  to  Werowocomico  for 
the  second.  This  he  felt  quite  justified  in  doing, 
for  it  was  well  known  to  him  that  Powhatan's  gar- 

268 


SOME  AMBUSCADES 

ners  were  always  overflowing,  for  the  great  Werow- 
ance  exacted  a  heavy  tribute  from  the  minor  chiefs 
of  the  tribe.  Moreover,  Smith  was  willing  to 
punish  his  adoptive  father  as  the  author  of  all  the 
trouble  that  had  befallen  the  expedition.  Accord 
ingly,  after  leaving  Pamaunke,  the  boats  turned 
their  prows  upstream  and  started  back  to  Werowo- 
comico. 

Towards  evening  the  expedition,  turning  a  bend 
in  the  river,  came  suddenly  upon  a  place  where  a 
number  of  people  were  assembled  on  the  bank,  evi 
dently  awaiting  their  coming.  They  were  men  and 
women,  quite  unarmed,  and  each  bearing  a  basket 
of  corn.  Smith  chuckled  when  he  beheld  the  pal 
pable  trap. 

"  Surely  they  take  us  for  barn-yard  fowls  and 
think  that  we  will  run  to  a  handful  of  grain  held  out 
in  a  sieve.  The  grain  we  will  take  but  in  no  such 
simple  fashion." 

He  had  no  doubt  that  a  hundred  or  more  stout 
bowmen  lay  hidden  behind  the  innocent  looking 
crowd  which  greeted  him  with  eager  offers  to  trade. 
Dissembling  his  suspicions,  Smith  declared  that  the 
day  was  too  far  spent  for  trading.  He  would  lie-to 
for  the  night,  he  said,  and  in  the  morning  would 
come  ashore  unarmed  as  they  demanded. 

When  darkness  had  set  in  Smith  picked  twenty- 
five  men  and  placed  them  under  the  commands  of 
Percy  and  West.  These  officers  were  directed  to 

'269 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

take  the  force  in  one  of  the  barges  several  miles 
farther  up  the  river  and  there  to  land  twenty  of 
them.  The  remaining  five  were  to  bring  back  the 
boat  that  its  absence  might  not  excite  the  suspicions 
of  the  savages  on  the  morrow.  Percy  and  West 
were  then  to  proceed  through  the  forest  with  their 
men  and  dispose  them  before  daylight  in  the  rear 
of  the  Indian  ambuscade.  It  was  quite  dark  when 
the  barge,  with  muffled  oars,  pulled  upstream,  but 
some  hours  later  a  clear  moon  arose,  enabling  the 
party  to  carry  out  its  instructions  to  the  letter. 

The  next  morning,  the  unarmed  Indians  were  on 
the  bank  as  before  with  their  baskets  of  corn,  and 
Smith  went  ashore  as  he  had  promised  with  a  squad 
of  men,  all  of  whom  had  left  their  weapons  in  the 
pinnace.  No  sooner  had  they  set  foot  on  land  than 
the  would-be  traders  scattered  and  fled  into  the  sur 
rounding  forest,  leaving  their  baskets  upon  the 
ground.  At  the  same  instant  a  band  of  warriors 
rose  from  the  cover  in  which  they  had  lain  hidden 
and  drew  their  bows  upon  the  English. 

"  Stay  your  hands,  Powhatans,  and  look  to  your 
backs !  "  cried  Smith  with  extended  forefinger. 

The  warriors  glanced  behind  them  to  see  Percy's 
men  drawn  up  with  levelled  muskets.  Uttering  a 
howl  of  dismay,  they  plunged  into  the  thicket  and 
disappeared.  The  baskets  of  corn  were  carried 
aboard  the  barges  and  the  party  continued  its 
journey. 

270 


SOME  AMBUSCADES 

They  found  Werowocomico  completely  deserted. 
Powhatan  had  fled,  taking  his  renegade  Dutchmen 
and  emptying  his  stores.  However,  thanks  to  the 
attempted  ambuscade,  Smith  had  now  nearly  as 
great  a  quantity  of  provisions  as  his  boats  could 
carry  and  he  returned  to  the  fort.  The  expedition 
had  been  absent  six  weeks.  In  that  time  its  mem 
bers  had  been  exposed  to  much  hardship  and  many 
dangers  of  which  we  have  made  no  mention.  They 
had  relieved  the  settlement,  during  a  period  of  great 
stringency,  of  the  keep  of  forty-six  men  and  now 
they  returned  with  five  hundred  bushels  of  corn  and 
two  hundred  pounds  of  meat.  Furthermore,  not  a 
man  was  missing  from  the  party.  This  was,  indeed, 
an  achievement  to  be  proud  of,  but  it  was  not  of  the 
kind  to  impress  the  proprietors  at  home.  Had 
Smith  come  back  with  empty  boats  and  the  loss  of 
some  lives,  so  that  he  had  learned  some  fanciful 
rumor  of  a  gold  mine  in  a  mythical  country,  they 
would  have  been  better  pleased  with  him. 

The  President  found  the  colony  in  a  bad  way. 
The  food  supply  was  almost  exhausted  and  the 
settlers  were  within  sight  of  starvation.  The  coun- 
cilmen,  who  should  never  have  all  left  Jamestown 
at  the  same  time,  had  been  drowned  together.  In 
the  absence  of  all  authority,  discipline  naturally  dis 
appeared  and  disaffection  spread.  This  as  we  shall 
see  later  had  developed  into  treason  and  conspiracy 
before  the  President's  arrival.  There  had  been 

271 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

some  attempted  desertions  and  doubtless  would  have 
been  more  but  for  the  contemplation  of  the  fate  of 
Scrivener  and  his  companions.  Work  of  all  de 
scriptions  had  entirely  ceased  and  the  men  spent 
their  days  in  loafing  and  quarrelling. 

Smith  took  the  situation  in  hand  with  his  usual 
decision  and  firmness.  He  determined  to  check  the 
demoralization  at  any  cost  but  wisely  decided  to  em 
ploy  genial  measures  where  they  would  avail.  Call 
ing  the  settlers  together,  he  gave  them  a  clear  under 
standing  of  his  attitude  at  the  outset.  Standing  on 
the  steps  of  the  Council  House,  he  addressed  them 
in  the  following  words,  his  tone  and  gesture  carry 
ing  conviction  to  his  hearers. 

"  Countrymen !  The  long  experience  of  our  late 
miseries  should  be  sufficient  to  persuade  everyone  to 
correct  his  errors  and  determine  to  play  the  man. 
Think  not,  any  of  you,  that  my  pains,  nor  the  ad 
venturers'  purse,  will  maintain  you  in  idleness  and 
sloth.  I  speak  not  thus  to  you  all,  for  well  I  know 
that  divers  of  you  deserve  both  honor  and  reward, 
but  the  greater  part  must  be  more  industrious  or 
starve.  It  hath  heretofore  been  the  policy  of  the 
Council  to  treat  alike  the  diligent  and  the  idle,  so 
that  a  man  might  work  not  at  all  yet  was  he  assured 
of  warm  lodging  and  a  full  belly — at  least  as  much 
of  these  comforts  as  was  enjoyed  by  them  that 
toiled  for  the  betterment  of  the  colony.  Such  a 
condition  will  not  I  maintain.  You  see  that  power 

272 


SOME  AMBUSCADES 

now  resteth  wholly  in  myself.  You  must  obey  this 
now  for  a  law,  that  he  that  will  not  work — except 
by  sickness  he  is  disabled — shall  not  eat.  The  labors 
of  thirty  or  forty  industrious  men  shall  not  be  con 
sumed  to  maintain  a  hundred  and  fifty  idle  loiterers. 
That  there  is  disaffection  among  you  I  know.  I 
hope  that  it  will  cease  forthwith,  but  if  not,  I  warn 
you  that  I  shall  hesitate  not  to  take  the  life  of  any 
man  who  seeks  to  sow  the  seeds  of  treason  in  this 
His  Majesty's  colony  of  Virginia.  I  would  wish 
you,  therefore,  without  contempt  of  my  authority, 
to  study  to  observe  the  orders  that  I  here  set  down, 
for  there  are  now  no  more  Councillors  to  protect  you 
and  to  curb  my  endeavors.  He  that  offendeth, 
therefore,  shall  most  assuredly  meet  due  punish 
ment." 


1 8 


XXII. 

A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IS  REDUCED  TO  ORDER  AND  INDUSTRY — THE 
RENEGADE  DUTCHMEN  AND  THEIR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  FORT — 
SMITH  STALKS  A  TRAITOR  THROUGH  THE  FOREST — CAPTURES 

HIM   AND  BRINGS   HIM   BACK  TO  BE  HANGED — THE   CHIEF  OF 

THE  PASPAHEGHS  ENTERS  UPON  A  DANGEROUS  ENTERPRISE — 
HE  FINDS  SMITH  READY  TO  TRY  A  CONCLUSION  WITH  HIM — 
THE  INDIAN  GIANT  AND  THE  ENGLISHMAN  ENGAGE  IN  A 

WRESTLING    MATCH — THE   BOUT   ENDS    IN   THE   DISCOMFITURE 

OF  THE  PASPAHEGH — HE  CUTS  "  A  SORRY  FIGURE  SQUIRMING 

LIKE  A  TOAD  UNDER  A  HARROW " — HE  IS  CARRIED  CAPTIVE 
TO  THE  FORT  AND  HELD  FOR  EXCHANGE  WITH  THE  TRAITOR 
OUS  DUTCHMEN — BUT  SMITH'S  HEART  is  TOUCHED  BY  THE 

APPEAL   OF   THE   WARRIORS   AND    HE   RELEASES    THE    CHIEF. 

THE  uncompromising  attitude  of  the  President 
had  a  good  effect  upon  even  the  worst  members  of 
the  colony  who,  even  though  they  were  not  moved 
thereby  to  honest  endeavor,  were  at  least  restrained 
by  fear  from  active  interference.  There  was  now 
in  the  public  store  enough  provision  to  carry  the 
settlement,  with  prudent  use,  over  to  the  time  of 
harvest.  Their  minds  were  therefore  relieved  of 
what  was  usually  the  most  pressing  anxiety,  and 
they  were  free  to  devote  their  labors  to  internal 
improvement.  Smith  divided  the  settlers  into 

274 


A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 

squads  of  ten  or  fifteen,  to  each  of  which  was 
assigned  a  particular  duty  every  day.  Six  hours 
a  day,  with  the  exception  of  the  Sabbath,  were  given 
to  work.  The  remaining  time  was  consumed  in 
pastimes  which  tended  to  cheer  the  spirits  whilst 
preserving  the  health  of  the  men.  Smith  himself 
was  constantly  on  duty  and  seemed  to  have  a  hun 
dred  pair  of  eyes,  for  nothing  escaped  his  notice. 
Passing  from  one  group  of  laborers  to  another,  he 
directed  their  work,  cheered  the  weak,  praised  the 
industrious,  reproved  the  unhandy  and  punished 
the  shirkers.  Under  the  new  regulations,  the  erec 
tion  of  public  buildings  and  the  construction  of 
fortifications  progressed  rapidly  and  at  the  same 
time  the  health  and  temper  of  the  colonists  greatly 
improved. 

Smith  was  of  course  ere  this  fully  informed  of  the 
defection  of  the  three  Dutchmen  whom  he  had  sent 
to  Powhatan,  but  he  had  yet  to  learn  that  these 
renegades  had  many  sympathizers  and  some  active 
confederates  at  Jamestown  among  the  seventy 
foreigners  exported  by  the  company.  For  some 
time  after  the  institution  of  the  new  regulations,  it 
had  been  apparent  that  a  clever  system  of  thievery 
was  being  carried  on  in  the  fort.  Arms,  ammu 
nition  and  tools  disappeared  from  time  to  time  and 
no  trace  of  the  offenders  could  be  had.  The  per 
sons  entrusted  by  Smith  with  the  task  of  detecting 
the  thieves  having  utterly  failed  to  discover  them, 

275 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

he  determined  to  undertake  the  matter  himself.  It 
was  certain  that  the  stolen  articles  were  conveyed 
out  of  the  fort  after  dark,  and  Smith  therefore  took 
to  spending  his  nights  on  watch.  At  length  his 
vigils  were  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  five  men  scaling 
the  palisades  over  which  they  hauled  a  number  of 
heavy  packages.  He  followed  them  stealthily. 
They  took  the  rough  road  leading  from  Jamestown 
to  the  glass  factory,  a  mile  distant,  which  they 
reached  in  about  half  an  hour.  As  they  approached 
the  house,  a  number  of  Indians  came  out  to  meet 
them,  and  among  these  Smith  recognized  by  his 
voice  a  certain  Franz,  who  was  painted  and  bedecked 
to  represent  a  redskin.  Smith  lay  concealed  close 
at  hand  during  the  transfer  of  the  goods  and  heard 
the  entire  conversation  of  the  conspirators.  The 
party  from  the  fort  wasted  no  time  in  returning, 
and  Smith  let  them  go  upon  their  way  without  inter 
ference.  His  mind  was  set  on  capturing  the  traitor 
Franz. 

After  the  Dutchmen  had  left,  the  Indians  distrib 
uted  the  burden  among  themselves  and  set  out  in  the 
opposite  direction.  Smith  rightly  surmised  that 
they  would  not  go  far  before  encamping,  and  that, 
knowing  that  there  was  no  party  abroad  from  the 
settlement,  they  would  not  deem  it  necessary  to 
maintain  a  guard  when  they  slept.  But  he  kept 
well  in  the  rear  for  fear  of  alarming  them,  for  the 
savage  is  alive  to  the  breaking  of  a  twig  or  the 

276 


A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 

rustling  of  a  leaf  on  a  still  night.  Their  camp-fire 
would  guide  him  to  them  when  they  stopped. 

The  band  proceeded  along  the  trail  for  a  few 
miles  and  then  suddenly  struck  into  the  depths  of  the 
forest,  but  soon  halted  and  prepared  for  the  night  by 
building  a  fire.  Round  this  they  sat  for  a  while 
talking  and  eating  dried  venison  and  bread.  One 
by  one  they  stretched  themselves  out  by  the  blazing 
wood  until  at  length  all  were  sunk  in  deep  slumber. 
Smith  had  crept  near  before  this  and  had  marked 
the  position  of  Franz  who,  being  more  susceptible 
to  cold  than  his  companions,  was  wrapped  in  a  long 
fur.  For  fully  an  hour  after  the  last  man  had  lain 
down  Smith  waited  patiently  with  his  eyes  fixed  on 
the  fur-robed  figure  of  the  Dutchman.  At  last  he 
thought  it  safe  to  advance,  and  gradually  stole  for 
ward  until  he  stood  over  the  recumbent  form  of  the 
traitor.  It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter  to  stab 
the  sleeping  man  to  the  heart,  but,  although  he  richly 
deserved  such  a  fate,  the  thought  was  repugnant 
to  our  hero,  who  preferred,  even  at  the  risk  of  his 
own  life,  to  make  the  other  captive. 

Had  Smith  attempted  to  seize  Franz,  or  in  any 
other  way  to  awaken  him  suddenly,  no  doubt  the 
man  would  have  alarmed  his  companions.  Smith, 
therefore,  proceeded  with  calm  deliberation  to  bring 
his  victim  gradually  to  his  senses.  Kneeling  be 
side  him,  with  a  cocked  pistol  in  one  hand,  he  set 
to  brushing  his  face  lightly  with  a  wisp  of  grass. 

277 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

The  sleeping  man  began  to  breathe  more  rapidly 
as  the  slight  irritation  excited  him,  then  he  turned 
restlessly  several  times  and  at  last  slowly  opened  his 
eyes  upon  Smith  and  the  threatening  pistol.  The 
Captain's  eyes,  readable  in  the  light  of  the  fire, 
spoke  more  eloquently  than  words  could  have  done. 
Franz  realized  that  death  would  follow  the  first 
sound  he  should  make.  In  obedience  to  the  signs  of 
his  captor  he  rose  quietly  and  stepped  out  of  the 
ring  of  light  into  the  gloom  of  the  surrounding 
forest.  Smith's  hand  grasped  his  hair  whilst  the 
pistol  was  pressed  against  the  nape  of  his  neck.  In 
his  character  of  Indian,  Franz  had  carried  no 
weapons  but  a  bow  and  arrow  and  these  lay  where 
he  had  slept,  so  that  he  was  quite  powerless  to  resist. 
When  they  had  proceeded  cautiously  until  safely 
beyond  earshot,  Smith  urged  his  prisoner  forward 
with  all  speed  and  within  an  hour  after  his  capture 
had  him  safely  lodged  in  the  jail  of  the  fort. 

The  proof  of  this  Dutchman's  guilt  being  so  abso 
lute,  the  jury  before  whom  he  was  tried  found  him 
guilty  without  hesitation  and  he  was  hanged  forth 
with.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  the 
Indians  accounted  for  the  complete  disappearance 
of  the  disguised  Dutchman  who  had  lain  down  to 
sleep  with  them.  They  may  have  supposed  that  he 
had  wandered  from  the  camp  in  the  night  and  lost 
his  way.  It  is  quite  as  likely,  however,  that  they 
decided  that  the  god  of  the  English  angered  at  his 

278 


A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 

perfidy  had  carried  him  off.  Of  course  it  was  not 
long  before  they  learned  the  truth,  but  Smith  took 
immediate  measures  to  suppress  the  illicit  dealings 
that  had  been  carried  on  between  the  Indians  and  the 
traitors  in  the  fort.  A  blockhouse  was  erected  at 
the  neck  of  the  peninsula  upon  which  Jamestown 
stood  and  neither  redman  nor  white  was  thereafter 
permitted  to  pass  it  during  day  or  night  without 
giving  an  account  of  himself.  But  the  affair  of 
Franz  was  not  the  end  of  the  trouble  with  the 
foreign  settlers,  as  we  shall  see. 

Shortly  after  the  incident  of  Franz,  the  German, 
or  the  Dutchman,  as  the  early  writers  called  him, 
Smith  received  a  message  from  the  Chief  of  the  Pas- 
paheghs,  who  declared  that  he  was  in  possession  of  a 
number  of  stolen  articles  which  he  desired  to  return 
to  the  white  Werowance  in  person.  He  proposed 
that  the  latter  should  meet  him  at  a  designated  place 
some  miles  from  Jamestown  and  take  over  the  pur 
loined  property.  Smith  was  getting  a  little  tired  of 
these  transparent  subterfuges,  but  as  they  invariably 
turned  to  his  advantage  it  seemed  to  be  inadvisable 
to  neglect  such  an  opportunity.'  Accordingly  he 
went  to  the  appointed  place,  taking  with  him  a  guard 
of  ten  men  fully  armed.  There  they  found  the 
Chief,  attended  by  fifty  warriors.  He  was  a  man 
of  gigantic  stature,  being  even  taller  than  Opechan- 
canough.  Smith  wished  to  come  at  once  to  the 
purpose  of  the  meeting,  but  the  Chief  seemed  dis- 

279 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

posed  to  palaver  and  consume  time.  At  length  he 
expressed  a  desire  to  speak  to  the  Captain  privately 
and  apart.  To  this  request  Smith  acceded  and 
walked  aside  with  the  Paspahegh,  keeping  a  sharp 
lookout  the  while. 

It  would  seem  that  this  Indian,  who  had  only  en 
countered  our  hero  in  his  most  genial  moods,  was 
sufficiently  bold  and  enterprising  to  venture  upon 
an  attempt  to  dispose  of  him  single  handed.  The 
idea  may  have  been  suggested  to  his  mind  by  notic 
ing  that  Smith,  contrary  to  his  custom,  was  on  this 
occasion  armed  only  with  a  falchion.  No  doubt  the 
Paspahegh  had  a  right  to  rely  greatly  upon  his 
superior  size  but  had  he  consulted  Opechancanough 
before  entering  upon  this  hazardous  undertaking,  he 
might  have  received  some  deterrent  advice. 

The  two  leaders  continued  to  walk  away  until  they 
were  completely  beyond  the  sight  of  their  followers. 
Smith  had  instructed  his  men  not  to  follow  him, 
feeling  confident  that  as  long  as  he  had  the  Chief 
within  arm's  length  he  could  control  the  situation, 
and  with  that  idea  he  kept  close  by  the  Paspahegh's 
side.  The  Indian  seemed  to  find  the  proximity 
unsuited  to  his  plans,  for  he  attempted  several  times 
to  edge  away.  These  attempts  were  not  lost  upon 
Smith  who  took  care  to  frustrate  them,  for  the  Chief 
carried  a  bow  and  arrows  which  he  could  not  use 
with  effect  except  at  some  distance  from  his  intended 
victim. 

280 


A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 

At  length  the  Paspahegh  lost  patience,  or  gave  up 
hope  of  eluding  the  vigilance  of  his  companion. 
Suddenly  he  sprang  to  one  side  and  turned  on  Smith 
with  his  bow  drawn  taut  and  an  arrow  fitted  in  it. 
But  before  he  could  loose  the  shaft  our  hero  was 
upon  him  and  had  grasped  him  in  a  wrestler's  hold. 
The  Chief  dropped  his  useless  weapon  and  addressed 
himself  to  the  task  of  overthrowing  his  antagonist. 
He  dared  not  cry  for  help,  for  to  do  so  would  be  to 
bring  the  English  to  the  assistance  of  their  leader. 
Smith,  on  the  other  hand,  was  not  inclined  to  court 
interference.  To  "  try  a  conclusion  "  by  single  com 
bat  was  always  to  his  liking,  and  he  thoroughly 
enjoyed  the  present  situation. 

For  a  while  the  clasped  figures  swayed  to  and 
fro,  the  Indian  striving  by  sheer  weight  to  crush  his 
smaller  adversary  to  the  ground.  Smith,  on  his 
part,  contented  himself  at  first  with  the  effort  neces 
sary  to  keep  his  feet,  but,  when  he  felt  the  savage 
tiring  from  his  great  exertions,  decided  to  try  offen 
sive  tactics.  The  Indian  was  no  wrestler  and,  more 
over,  he  had  secured  but  a  poor  hold.  Smith  held 
his  antagonist  firmly  round  the  waist  where  he  had 
seized  him  at  the  onset  and  now  he  suddenly  dropped 
his  hold  to  the  savage's  knees.  With  a  tight  grip 
and  a  mighty  heave  upwards  he  threw  the  Paspa 
hegh  over  his  head  and  turned  to  fall  upon  him. 
But  the  Indian  was  agile  despite  his  great  size.  He 
had  broken  his  fall  with  his  hands,  and,  regaining 

281 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

his  feet  quickly  and  without  injury,  immediately 
grappled  with  Smith.  It  was  no  eagerness  for  the 
combat  that  prompted  the  Paspahegh  to  re-engage 
with  such  alacrity  but  the  knowledge  that  unless  he 
closed  at  once  his  opponent  might  draw  his  sword 
and  run  him  through.  Smith  would  rather  have 
continued  the  duel  on  equal  terms,  but  the  chivalrous 
instinct  that  could  prefer  such  a  condition  to  slaying 
a  helpless  enemy  was  entirely  beyond  the  compre 
hension  of  the  savage. 

The  struggle  was  now  renewed  with  vigor.  The 
Indian,  moved  to  frenzy  by  fear,  put  forth  such 
strength  that  for  a  space  of  time  Smith  was  power 
less  to  withstand  him.  Nearby  was  a  stream  and 
towards  this  the  Indian  dragged  our  hero,  doubtless 
with  the  hope  of  getting  into  deep  water  where  his 
much  greater  height  would  have  given  him  an 
advantage.  As  they  neared  the  bank,  Smith  con 
trived  to  get  his  foot  between  the  other's  legs  and 
trip  him.  The  Paspahegh  loosed  his  hold  and 
stumbled  forward  for  a  pace  or  two.  He  quickly 
recovered  and  faced  about  to  receive  a  stinging  blow 
on  the  chin,  and  as  he  reeled  under  it  Smith  sprang 
at  his  throat  and  got  it  in  a  tight  grasp.  It  was  in 
vain  that  the  Indian  struggled  to  shake  off  that  iron 
grip.  Smith's  clutch  did  not  relax  until  the  savage 
exhausted  and  breathless  sank  to  the  ground. 

Smith  allowed  his  fallen  foe  a  few  minutes  to 
recover  himself  somewhat  and  then,  drawing  his 

282 


IT  WAS  IN  VAIN  THAT   THE    INDIAN  STRUGGLED  TO   SHAKE  OFF  THAT 
IRON   GRIP 


A  CURIOUS  COMBAT 

sword  and  twisting  the  Indian's  scalp-lock  about  his 
left  hand,  he  made  him  rise  and  march  back  to  the 
place  where  their  respective  followers  awaited  them. 
The  Paspahegh  was  over  six  feet  in  height  and  Smith 
of  only  medium  stature,  so  that  the  former  had  to 
stoop  in  order  to  accommodate  himself  to  his  cap 
tor's  grasp.  Thus  he  cut  a  very  sorry  figure  when 
he  came  within  the  view  of  his  warriors  squirming 
like  a  toad  under  a  harrow.  Smith  now  demanded 
the  articles  for  the  recovery  of  which  he  had  been 
induced  to  meet  the  Indians,  and  their  deceit  was 
proved  when  they  failed  to  produce  them.  Much  to 
their  relief,  the  thoroughly  cowed  warriors  were 
permitted  to  depart  unharmed,  but  they  were  obliged 
to  return  without  their  Chief,  who  was  conveyed  a 
prisoner  to  the  fort. 

The  Paspahegh  seems  to  have  been  the  most 
manly  of  the  chieftains  with  whom  Smith  came  in 
conflict.  He  accepted  his  imprisonment  with  un 
complaining  dignity  and  calmly  awaited  the  fate 
which  he  had  every  reason  to  believe  would  be  death. 
Smith,  however,  had  never  entertained  thought  of 
killing  his  captive.  It  was  in  his  mind  to  hold  the 
chief  for  exchange  with  the  Dutchmen  but,  with  his 
usual  clemency,  he  allowed  him  to  depart  with  a 
deputation  of  his  tribesmen  who  shortly  appeared 
at  the  settlement.  These  professed  repentance  and 
promised  good  behavior  in  the  future.  They  de 
clared  that  their  chief  had  been  instigated  to  treach- 

283 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

ery  by  another — meaning  Powhatan.  That  he  had 
always  been  kindly  disposed  towards  Smith  and  at 
the  time  of  his  captivity  had  been  one  of  the  few 
chiefs  in  favor  of  sparing  his  life.  Finally  they 
agreed  to  clear  and  plant  an  extra  field  of  corn  for 
the  English  against  the  next  harvest.  Smith 
yielded,  assured  them  of  his  future  friendship  as 
long  as  they  deserved  it  and  giving  to  each  a  present 
sent  them  upon  their  way  contented. 


XXIII. 

A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 


POWHATAN  STIRS  HIS  DUTCH  ALLIES  TO  RELUCTANT  ACTIVITY — 
THEY  CONCOCT  A  CONSPIRACY  TO  SEIZE  JAMESTOWN  AND 

MASSACRE   THE    ENGLISH — THE    MOVEMENT   FAILS    AND    ALL 

POWHATAN'S  WARRIORS  FALL  INTO  THE  HANDS  OF  SMITH — 
"IT  IS  WITHIN  MY  POWER  TO  CUT  OFF  THE  PoWHATANS 

ROOT  AND  BRANCH  !  " — THE  OLD  CHIEF  IS  BOWED  IN   SHAME 

AND  REPENTANCE — A  VERY  RIGHTEOUS  FATE  BEFALLS  THE 
PERFIDIOUS  DUTCHMEN — FRIENDLY  RELATIONS  ARE  AGAIN 
ESTABLISHED  BETWEEN  THE  WHITES  AND  THE  INDIANS — A 
GRAND  SCHEME  OF  GOVERNMENT  WHICH  HAS  A  BAD  INCEP 
TION — RATCLIFFE,  ARCHER  AND  OTHER  MISCHIEF-MAKERS 

RETURN  TO  VIRGINIA — SMITH  IS  SERIOUSLY  INJURED  AND 
RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND. 

THE  Dutchmen  at  Werowocomico  had  been  liv 
ing  on  the  fat  of  the  land.  They  were  installed  as 
honored  members  of  the  tribe  and  granted  many 
unusual  privileges.  Powhatan  was  well  pleased 
with  their  work  in  the  erection  of  his  English  house 
and  their  success  in  stealing  from  the  settlement. 
But  he  expected  much  more  from  these  white  allies, 
who  came  to  him  boasting  that  they  would  show 
him  how  to  subdue  the  English  and  drive  them  into 
the  sea.  The  traitors  would  have  been  well  content 
to  have  Powhatan  forget  those  idle  promises  and 

285 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

allow  them  to  continue  in  peace  the  life  of  ease  and 
comfort  into  which  they  had  settled.  They  were 
mechanics,  quite  ignorant  of  military  matters.  They 
could  steal  muskets  but  were  unable  to  drill  the 
savages  in  the  use  of  them  and,  indeed,  through 
their  faulty  instructions  caused  a  number  of  the 
Indians  to  be  blown  up  by  gunpowder.  However, 
Powhatan  was  insistent  that  they  should  redeem 
their  promises  and  it  became  necessary  to  bestir 
themselves. 

Smith  had  effectually  put  a  stop  to  the  traffic  be 
tween  the  thieves  in  the  fort  and  their  confederates 
among  the  Indians,  but  it  would  have  been  quite 
impossible  to  prevent  communications,  since  there 
was  constant  intercourse  between  the  settlers  and 
the  natives  of  the  surrounding  country.  The 
Dutchmen,  therefore,  had  no  difficulty  in  laying 
plans  with  certain  of  their  countrymen  in  James 
town.  A  scheme  was  at  length  conceived  that 
appeared  to  present  some  prospect  of  success  and 
met  with  the  approval  of  Powhatan.  On  a  certain 
night  the  conspirators  within  the  fort  were  to  blow 
up  the  arsenal  and  set  fire  to  the  settlement  at  several 
points  simultaneously.  In  the  confusion  that  would 
follow  two  thousand  Indians  would  rush  into  the 
enclosure  and  massacre  the  surprised  settlers. 
There  was  one  point  about  this  arrangement  that 
was  not  quite  satisfactory  to  the  plotters.  Their 
contemplated  rush  might  be  effectually  checked  by 

286 


A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 

a  few  faithful  and  determined  men  in  control  of  the 
big  guns.  These  were  always  handled  by  experi 
enced  English  gunners  and  it  would  be  necessary  to 
seduce  some  of  these  from  their  allegiance.  With 
this  view,  the  schemers  approached  Douse  and  Mal 
lard,  whose  posts  were  at  the  main  entrance.  To 
them  they  promised  rich  rewards  and  high  favor 
with  Powhatan  on  condition  of  disabling  the  guns 
on  the  night  of  the  attack  a'nd  deserting  to  the 
enemy.  The  gunners  apparently  fell  in  with  this 
proposal  and  the  conspirators  congratulated  them 
selves  on  having  their  plans  arranged  beyond  the 
possibility  of  miscarriage. 

On  the  appointed  night  two  thousand  warriors 
under  picked  chiefs  crept  up  to  within  half  a  mile 
of  the  fort  and  lay  in  waiting  for  the  signal  flames 
that  were  to  call  them  to  the  attack.  Hour  after 
hour  passed  without  a  sign  from  Jamestown.  The 
settlement  was  apparently  sunk  in  peaceful  slumber, 
but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  every  man  within  the  stock 
ade  was  wide  awake  and  standing  silently  to  his  arms 
ready  to  repel  an  attack,  whilst  the  conspirators  lay 
snug  and  safe  in  the  jail.  At  the  first  streak  of 
dawn,  the  disappointed  Indians  prepared  to  return, 
when  they  found  themselves  face  to  face  with  a  body 
of  musketeers.  They  were  ordered  to  lay  down 
their  arms  and  did  so  without  delay.  Contention 
would  have  been  useless  for  they  lay  between  two 
bodies  of  the  English  and  were  completely  cut  off. 

287 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

Captain  Percy,  in  command  of  the  ambuscade,  now 
demanded  the  surrender  of  the  renegade  white  men. 
The  Indians  were  unable  to  comply  with  this  request 
for  those  worthies,  realizing  that  something  was 
wrong,  had  sneaked  off  some  hours  earlier  and  were 
on  their  way  to  Werowocomico. 

The  warriors  were  rounded  up  and  marched  into 
the  fort,  and  Smith  immediately  selected  one  of  their 
chiefs  to  act  as  a  messenger  and  sent  him,  under  the 
escort  of  Master  Richard  Whyffin  and  Serjeant 
Ford,  to  Powhatan. 

"  Tell  your  Werowance,"  ran  Smith's  message, 
"  that  I  have  all  his  warriors  penned  up  as  we  pen 
our  sheep.  It  is  within  my  power  to  cut  off  the 
Powhatans  root  and  branch,  and  if  I  visit  them  with 
their  deserts,  that  will  I  do.  For  the  present  I  de 
mand  the  immediate  surrender  of  the  foreign  rene- 
gados  who  fled  from  this  place  and  those  that  I  sent 
to  work  at  Werowocomico.  I  make  no  conditions. 
What  I  may  do  with  the  warriors  of  the  Powhatans 
is  yet  to  be  determined.  Mayhap  my  temper  may 
cool  upon  reflection,  but  at  present  my  heart  is  filled 
with  wrath  against  Powhatan  and  all  his  tribe. 
Go !  I  have  spoken !  " 

The  following  day  the  Indian  messenger  and  the 
two  Englishmen  returned,  but  they  were  unaccom 
panied  by  the  Dutchmen.  From  Powhatan  the  chief 
brought  this  message : 

"  Powhatan  is  bowed  in  anguish  and  his  gray 


A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 

hairs  sweep  the  dust.  He  prays  the  great  English 
Werowance  to  hear  these  his  words  for  they  are 
spoken  in  truth  and  all  sincerity  from  the  bottom  of 
his  heart.  Powhatan  pleads  for  mercy  and  the 
friendship  of  Captain  Smith.  Never  again,  so  long 
as  Powhatan  lives,  will  he  or  any  of  his  people  raise 
hand  against  the  English.  This  is  no  idle  talk, 
Powhatan  swears  it  by  the  name  of  his  gods  and  the 
god  of  the  strangers  and  will  give  ample  hostages  to 
insure  his  good  faith.  Why  should  Captain  Smith 
slay  the  warriors  who  but  obeyed  the  commands  of 
their  Werowance?  Would  he  visit  his  wrath  upon 
the  squaws  and  children  of  the  Powhatans  who  sit 
wailing  in  their  wigwams?  If  the  fields  of  We- 
rowocomico,  of  Pamaunke  and  of  Oropaks,  yield 
no  harvest  in  the  coming  fall,  where  will  the  English 
procure  corn  to  stay  their  hunger?  But  if  the  white 
Werowance  must  satisfy  his  just  wrath,  then  let 
him  come  to  Werowocomico  and  sate  it  upon  me. 
I  am  here  alone  and  unguarded  and  will  bow  my 
head  to  the  stroke  of  his  sword.  Then  let  him  re 
turn  and  release  my  warriors  so  that  the  wailing 
of  my  people  may  not  reach  my  ears  in  the  happy 
hunting  grounds  of  my  fathers. 

"  As  to  the  renegades,  who  betrayed  me  as  they 
had  betrayed  you,  it  is  not  in  Powhatan's  power  to 
return  them  to  you  for  they  were  slain  before  your 
messengers  arrived  in  Werowocomico.  The  hungry 
curs  slunk  back  to  their  wigwams  in  time  for  the 
19  289 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

morning  meal.  This  I  gave  them  in  plenty — for  it 
is  not  our  custom  to  send  a  man  fasting  to  the  spirit- 
land — but  afterwards  their  brains  were  dashed  out 
by  my  orders  and  their  bodies  have  been  seen  by  the 
English  captains  who  came  with  your  messenger. 

"  Powhatan  has  spoken  the  last  word.  Let  the 
English  Werowance  decide.  Powhatan  here  awaits 
his  death  at  the  hands  of  Captain  Smith,  if 
it  will  redeem  his  people,  but  if  his  warriors  must 
be  doomed,  then  let  Powhatan  come  and  join  them 
in  their  death  so  that  all  may  go  together  to  the 
happy  hunting  grounds." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Captain  Smith  was  pro 
foundly  touched  by  the  pitiful  appeal  of  the  old 
Chief.  He  did  not  doubt  his  present  sincerity,  nor 
had  he  cause  to  do  so.  Powhatan  was  completely 
humbled  and  his  words  were,  as  he  said,  "  spoken 
from  the  bottom  of  his  heart."  So  long  as  Smith 
remained  in  the  colony  the  old  Werowance  main 
tained  his  plight  and  neither  he  nor  his  people  com 
mitted  an  unfriendly  act  against  the  English.  The 
warriors  who  returned  with  their  arms  carried  away 
an  impression  of  the  might  and  justice  of  Captain 
Smith  that  became  a  tradition  in  the  tribe.  For 
many  years  after  his  death  the  exploits  of  the  White 
Werowance  were  related  in  wigwam  and  around 
camp  fire.  At  this  time  his  influence  over  the  In 
dians  of  Virginia  was  supreme  and  founded  upon 
respect  no  less  than  upon  fear.  His  wishes  were 

290 


A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 

promptly  complied  with  and  the  chiefs  frequently 
consulted  him  about  the  affairs  of  the  tribe.  The 
most  amicable  relations  were  established  between  the 
whites  and  the  natives.  The  former  went  about  the 
country  freely  and  without  fear  of  harm.  The  lat 
ter  came  to  the  fort  with  their  wares  and  provisions, 
glad  to  trade  on  a  fixed  scale  which  was  once  again 
established.  The  settlers  learned  how  to  plant  corn  in 
the  Indian  fashion — a  method  which  is  followed  in 
Virginia  to  this  day.  The  Indians  taught  them  how 
to  net  fish  and  snare  animals.  Thus  the  colony  pro 
gressed  in  the  most  useful  direction  and  before 
Smith  left  them  many  of  the  settlers  were  as  adept 
in  the  practices  of  woodcraft  as  any  Indian. 

What  might  have  been  the  outcome  had  the  affairs 
of  the  settlement  been  left  in  the  hands  of  the  man 
who  showed  time  and  again  that  he  had  such  an 
understanding  of  the  situation  as  none  of  the  other 
leaders  possessed,  it  is  impossible  to  surmise.  Cer 
tain  it  is,  however,  that  in  such  a  case,  the  later 
experience  of  the  settlers  as  well  as  the  Indians 
would  have  been  a  much  more  happy  one.  As  it 
was,  Smith  had  no  sooner  reduced  conditions  to 
the  favorable  state  which  has  been  described,  than 
another  influx  of  "  gentlemen,"  vested  with  author 
ity  that  they  were  quite  incapable  of  exercising 
wisely,  tended  to  undo  much  of  the  good  which 
he  had  accomplished  at  such  great  pains. 

In  the  early  part  of  1609,  the  London  Company 
291 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

secured  a  new  charter,  under  which  they  proposed  to 
exploit  Virginia  on  a  scale  of  grandeur  which  was 
in  itself  a  proof  of  their  utter  ignorance  of  the  real 
conditions  and  needs  of  the  colony.  The  company, 
as  reorganized,  was  composed  of  twenty-one  peers 
and  innumerable  knights  and  gentlemen.  Officers 
were  appointed  with  high-sounding  titles.  Lord 
Delaware  was  made  Captain-general  of  Virginia; 
Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Lieutenant-captain-general;  Sir 
George  Somers,  Admiral;  Captain  Newport,  Vice- 
admiral  ;  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  High-marshal ;  Sir  Fer- 
dinando  Wainman,  General  of  the  Horse.  Just 
think  of  it!  General  of  the  Horse  in  Virginia! 
Keeper  of  the  Hogs,  or  Master  of  the  Poultry,  or 
Superintendent  of  the  Fish  Seines,  would  have  been 
more  to  the  purpose.  What  a  humble  and  insignifi 
cant  individual  plain  "  Captain  John  Smith  "  must 
have  appeared  to  these  grand  gentlemen ! 

In  May,  nine  vessels  with  five  hundred  emigrants 
were  despatched  from  England,  under  the  command 
of  Gates,  Somers  and  Newport.  To  each  of  these 
a  governor's  commission  was  given  with  the  under 
standing  that  he  who  should  arrive  first  should  take 
charge  of  the  colony  and  supersede  Smith.  Evi 
dently  these  gentlemen  were  not  sportsmen,  for, 
rather  than  take  any  chance,  they  decided  to  go  in 
the  same  ship.  This  vessel,  the  S ear-Venture,  was 
parted  from  the  rest  of  the  fleet  in  a  hurricane  and 
wrecked  on  the  Bermudas.  The  lives  of  the  pros- 

332 


A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 

pective  potentates  were  saved  but  they  did  not  reach 
Virginia  until  months  afterwards  and  when  Smith 
had  left.  Meanwhile  seven  of  the  original  ships 
arrived  at  their  destination.  Amongst  the  mixed 
company  that  they  landed  were  Ratcliffe  and  Archer 
who  figured  large  in  the  contingent  of  "  gentlemen." 
Most  of  these  were  "  profligate  youth,  whose  friends 
were  only  too  well  satisfied  to  give  them  ample  room 
in  remote  countries,  where  they  might  escape  the 
worse  destinies  that  awaited  them  at  home.  Poor 
gentlemen,  bankrupt  tradesmen,  rakes  and  liber 
tines,  such  as  were  more  apt  to  ruin  than  to  raise 
a  commonwealth."  The  minds  of  these,  naturally 
open  to  evil,  had  been  poisoned  by  Ratcliffe  and 
Archer  against  Smith,  and  they  landed  in  a  spirit 
of  antagonism  to  him. 

This  "  lewd  Rout,"  as  one  of  the  contemporary 
chroniclers  terms  them,  were  ripe  for  mischief  and, 
led  on  by  Ratcliffe  and  Archer,  they  plunged  into 
all  manner  of  license  and  disorder.  It  was  their 
impression  that  in  the  absence  of  the  commissioners 
the  colony  was  without  recognized  authority  and 
they  might  therefore  do  as  they  pleased  without  let 
or  hindrance.  They  were  never  more  mistaken, 
however.  Smith  took  the  view,  rightly  without 
question,  that  until  a  commission  superseding  him 
arrived,  he  remained  at  the  head  of  affairs.  He 
gave  these  gentry  warning  that  unless  they  mended 
their  ways  he  should  deal  sternly  with  them.  This 

293 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

had  the  effect  of  moving  them  to  plots  and  strata 
gems  designed  to  put  him  out  of  the  way.  Forced 
to  extreme  measures,  Smith  seized  the  ringleaders, 
including  those  meanest  of  mortals,  Ratcliffe  and 
Archer,  and  confined  them  in  prison.  Order  was 
speedily  restored,  and,  the  better  to  preserve  it,  Smith 
divided  the  colonists,  who  were  in  any  event  too 
numerous  to  live  in  Jamestown,  into  several  parties 
which  he  sent  into  different  quarters  of  the  surround 
ing  country  to  establish  settlements.  Despite  the 
friendly  attitude  of  the  Indians  these  newcomers 
contrived  to  create  trouble  with  them  almost  imme 
diately,  and  more  lives  were  thus  needlessly  sacri 
ficed  in  a  week  than  had  been  lost  in  Smith's 
troublous  dealings  with  the  Indians  in  the  course  of 
a  year. 

At  this  juncture  an  accident — some  think  that  it 
was  the  result  of  design — put  a  sudden  end  to 
Smith's  career  in  Virginia.  One  night  as  he  slept 
his  powder  bag  exploded,  severely  injuring  him. 
For  several  weeks  he  lay  in  dreadful  pain,  unable 
to  rise  from  his  couch.  When,  at  length,  he  was 
sufficiently  recovered  to  be  carried  on  board  ship, 
he  turned  over  the  government  to  Captain  Percy, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  1609  sailed  from  Virginia, 
which  he  was  never  to  see  again. 

A  sorrowing  group  of  his  faithful  followers 
watched  the  vessel  until  its  ensign  dropped  below 
the  horizon.  One  of  them  has  said :  *  Thus  we  lost 

294 


A  HUMBLED  CHIEFTAIN 

him  that  in  all  his  proceedings  made  justice  his  first 
guide  and  experience  his  second;  ever  hating  base 
ness,  sloth,  pride  and  unworthiness  more  than  dan 
gers;  that  never  allowed  more  for  himself  than  his 
soldiers  with  him ;  that  upon  no  danger  would  send 
them  where  he  would  not  lead  them  himself;  that 
would  never  see  us  want  what  he  had  or  by  any 
means  could  get  us;  that  would  rather  want  than 
borrow,  or  starve  than  not  pay;  that  loved  action 
more  than  words,  and  hated  falsehood  and  covet- 
ousness  worse  than  death;  whose  adventures  were 
our  lives,  and  whose  loss  our  deaths." 

The  literal  truth  of  the  last  words  was  soon  to 
be  proven. 


395 


XXIV. 

A  DISMAL  TALE 


WHAT  BEFELL  JAMESTOWN  AFTER  CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH  LEFT 
IT — A  SCORE  OF  RIVAL  LEADERS  CREATE  DISORDER  AND 
ENCOURAGE  LICENSE — THE  INDIANS  OVERCOME  THE  WHITE 
MEN  AND  PUT  THEM  TO  FLIGHT — RATCLIFFE  FALLS  INTO  A 
TRAP  AND  WITH  HIS  MEN  IS  MASSACRED — WlNTER  FINDS 
THEM  SICK  AND  STARVING — "  Now  WE  ALL  FELT  THE  WANT 
•  OF  CAPTAIN  SMITH  " — REINFORCEMENTS  ARRIVE  BUT  IT 
IS  DETERMINED  TO  ABANDON  THE  COLONY — THE  APPEARANCE 
OF  LORD  DELAWARE  FRUSTRATES  THE  MOVE — JAMESTOWN 

IS  RESTORED  AND  PROSPERS  FOR  A  SPELL — THE  TOBACCO 
CRAZE  AND  WHAT  IT  LED  TO — OpECHANCANOUGH  DIRECTS 
A  GREAT  MASSACRE — THE  COLONY  OF  VIRGINIA  IS  AT  LAST 
FIRMLY  PLANTED. 

IT  is  a  dismal  tale,  the  recital  of  what  befell  the 
five  hundred  colonists  of  Virginia  after  the  depart 
ure  of  Captain  John  Smith,  but  no  more  striking 
vindication  of  his  management  of  affairs  could  be 
found  than  in  the  rapid  wreck  of  the  colony  when 
his  guiding  hand  was  removed  from  the  helm. 
Almost  at  once  a  condition  of  anarchy  set  in.  Percy 
was  honest  and  not  unwise  but  he  lacked  the  iron 
will  and  indomitable  energy  of  Smith,  and  nothing 
less  was  needed  to  cope  with  the  situation.  There 
were  soon,  in  the  words  of  an  eye-witness,  "  twenty 

206 


presidents,"  each  with  his  particular  followers, 
forming  a  faction  at  variance  with  all  the  others. 
Strife  and  dissension  pervaded  the  settlement. 
Idleness  and  waste  prevailed.  The  Indians  were 
treated  as  though  the  chief  aim  of  the  settlers  had 
been  to  create  their  enmity.  The  more  prudent  of 
the  older  colonists  sought  to  divert  their  fellows 
from  the  destruction  upon  which  they  were  plainly 
heading,  but  without  avail.  Percy,  depressed  by 
anxiety,  fell  ill  of  a  fever  which  confined  him  to  his 
bed,  and,  with  the  last  vestige  of  authority  removed, 
the  colonists  gave  themselves  up  unrestrainedly  to 
riot  and  feasting. 

The  fruits  of  their  wicked  recklessness  were  soon 
visited  upon  these  miserable  incompetents.  The  In 
dians  attacked  the  various  settlements  beyond  James 
town  and  with  almost  invariable  success.  Martin, 
at  Nansemond,  had  been  kindly  received  by  the  chief 
of  the  band  of  that  name.  This  treatment  he  requited 
by  suddenly  falling  upon  the  village  and  seizing  its 
contents.  The  Indians  recovering  from  their  surprise 
assaulted  the  whites  and  routed  them.  Martin  fled 
to  Jamestown,  having  lost  many  of  his  men  and — 
crowning  shame! — nearly  all  their  arms.  Shortly 
after  this  episode,  Ratcliffe  and  West  went  to 
Werowocomico  with  two  ships,  each  carrying  thirty 
fully  armed  men — a  greater  force  than  Smith  ever 
took  upon  an  expedition.  Powhatan,  by  this  time 
moved  to  angef  and  contempt,  practised  against  the 

297 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

newcomers  the  tactics  he  had  so  ineffectually  tried 
against  Smith.  Ratcliffe  and  his  men  fell  into  the 
Indian's  trap  with  childish  readiness  and  all  save 
one  were  massacred.  West  fled  and  turned  his 
prow  towards  England  where  he  and  his  company 
eventually  arrived  in  safety.  Similar  occurrences 
at  last  produced  an  astounding  condition.  The  white 
colonists  became  actually  afraid  of  the  Indians,  who 
treated  them  with  well-merited  contempt  and  almost 
domineered  over  them.  Gradually,  the  entire  stock 
of  arms  and  ammunition  found  its  way  into  the  hands 
of  the  savages. 

When  things  had  reached  this  pass  it  would  have 
been  an  easy  matter  for  the  Indians  to  have  exter 
minated  the  whites.  It  is  probable  that  they  were 
only  deterred  from  doing  so  by  the  prospect  of  the 
speedy  starvation  of  the  colony.  They  had  con 
sumed  their  provisions  with  blind  improvidence  and 
had  made  absolutely  no  attempt  to  secure  a  harvest. 
The  fields  had  been  given  up  to  weeds  and  the  plows 
allowed  to  rust.  The  Indians  refused  to  give  a 
grain  for  charity  and  would  only  trade  on  the  most 
exorbitant  terms.  Beads  and  playthings  were  a 
drug  in  the  market.  Arms  and  ammunition  were 
now  demanded  and  readily  obtained  by  the  Indians, 
in  whose  minds  the  memory  of  Smith's  reception 
of  similar  proposals  was  fresh.  Says  one  of  the  ill- 
fated  colonists: 

"  Now  we  all  felt  the  want  of  Captain  Smith  yea 
298 


A  DISMAL  TALE 

his  greatest  maligners  could  then  curse  his  loss. 
Now  for  corn,  provisions  and  contribution  from 
the  savages,  we  had  nothing  but  mortal  wounds  with 
clubs  and  arrows." 

The  cold  of  winter  found  them  too  weak  and 
fearful  to  venture  beyond  the  palisades  in  quest  of 
firewood;  besides,  there  was  scarce  an  axe  left  in 
Jamestown.  In  this  extremity,  they  burned  the 
buildings  and  even  tore  down  the  stockade  to  feed 
the  fires.  They  died  like  flies  and  presently  the  sur 
vivors  were  reduced  to  cannibalism.  First  an  In 
dian  who  had  been  killed  in  a  skirmish  was  eaten 
and  then  the  poor  wretches  gave  themselves  up 
without  restraint  to  devouring  their  fellows. 

On  the  twenty-third  day  of  May,  1610,  the  party 
which  had  been  wrecked  on  the  Bermudas  sailed  into 
the  James  in  two  vessels  which  they  had  constructed 
with  infinite  labor.  Sixty  emaciated  creatures, 
little  more  than  skeletons  and  hardly  better  than 
idiots,  crawled  out  to  greet  the  arrivals,  whose 
coming  was  barely  in  time  to  save  the  lives  of  this 
pitiful  remnant  of  the  colony  which  Smith  had  left 
at  Jamestown.  That  place  was  reduced  to  ruins. 
Many  of  the  buildings  had  been  torn  to  pieces  and 
great  gaps  yawned  in  the  palisades.  So  dismal 
was  the  picture  and  so  fearful  the  stories  of  the 
ragged  wretches  who  represented  the  prosperous 
colonists  the  newcomers  had  expected  to  meet,  that 
Somers  and  Gates  determined  to  return  to  England 

299 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

and  abandon  the  settlement.  The  sixty  starving 
and  half  demented  men  were  taken  on  board  the 
ahips,  which  set  sail  down  the  river.  The  exultant 
savages  who  stood  upon  the  banks  congratulated 
themselves  that  once  more  the  white  intruder  was 
forced  to  leave  their  land.  But  a  strange  incident 
suddenly  turned  the  tide  of  affairs. 

The  departing  ships  no  sooner  cleared  the  mouth 
of  the  river  than  they  perceived  three  vessels 
approaching  and  flying  the  flag  of  England.  They 
proved  to  be  reinforcements  under  Lord  Delaware 
who  had  come  out  as.  Governor  of  Virginia. 
Somers  and  Gates  of  course  put  about  and  returned 
to  Jamestown.  The  conditions  of  affairs  quickly 
changed.  Lord  Delaware,  though  not  a  man  of 
equal  force  of  character  and  resource  with  Captain 
Smith,  wras  nevertheless  one  of  sound  judgment  and 
considerable  energy.  He  had  an  ample  supply  to 
tide  over  a  year  and,  together  with  Somers's  men, 
who  had  thrived  on  the  food  and  climate  of  the 
Bermudas,  several  hundred  strong  and  healthy 
colonists.  He  set  them  to  work  repairing  the  for 
tifications  and  buildings,  tilling  the  fields,  and  per 
forming  other  useful  labors.  Rule  and  order  were 
established  and  strictly  maintained.  Smith's  policy 
of  firm  but  just  dealing  with  the  Indians  was  re 
sumed  and  they  ceased  to  give  trouble. 

Thus,  when  sickness  compelled  Lord  Delaware  to 
return  to  England  in  the  following  March,  he  left 

300 


A  DISMAL  TALE 

Jamestown  thoroughly  resuscitated  and  on  the  high 
road  to  prosperity.  On  the  way  home,  the  retiring 
governor  passed  Sir  Thomas  Dale  coming  to  the 
colony  with  three  ships  and  a  full  year's  supplies. 
If  he  did  not  make  much  progress,  Dale  at  least 
preserved  the  advance  which  had  been  effected  by 
Delaware  until,  at  the  beginning  of  August,  Gates's 
return  as  Governor  marked  the  inception  of  a  new 
era  for  Virginia. 

Gates  brought  out  three  large  ships,  a  number  of 
cattle,  horses,  three  hundred  men,  and  so  great  a 
quantity  of  supplies  as  to  put  the  question  of  star 
vation  out  of  mind,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  colony.  Gates  was  well  adapted  by  char 
acter,  if  not  by  experience,  to  rule  the  American 
possession.  His  emigrants  were,  for  the  most  part, 
of  a  sort  to  benefit  the  settlement — men  of  good 
morals,  accustomed  to  work  and  adept  at  various 
handicrafts.  There  were  now  a  number  of  women 
in  the  country  and  family  life  began  to  make  its 
appearance.  Jamestown  soon  assumed  the  appear 
ance  of  an  orderly  town,  with  a  public  hall,  a  church, 
store-house  and  neat  dwellings.  Along  the  river 
banks  farms,  plantations  and  cattle  ranches  appeared 
in  time. 

The  rapid  spread  of  the  practice  of  smoking  in 
England  brought  about  the  greatest  changes  in  the 
condition  of  the  colony  of  Virginia.  Tobacco  com 
manded  good  prices,  with  a  constantly  increasing 

301 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

demand,  and  soon  every  other  enterprise  in  the 
colony  was  abandoned  in  favor  of  the  production 
of  the  narcotic  plant.  The  settlers  went  tobacco 
mad  as  in  earlier  days  they  had  given  themselves 
up  to  the  gold  frenzy.  Nothing  else  was  thought 
of.  Fields  were  neglected,  buildings  and  fortifi 
cations  were  allowed  to  fall  into  decay.  It  was  said 
in  England  that  the  very  streets  of  Jamestown  were 
planted  in  tobacco.  Every  man  saw  in  the  leaf  a 
prospect  of  speedy  wealth,  and  readily  sacrificed  the 
demands  of  the  present  to  the  pursuit  of  a  golden 
future.  The  Company  was  delighted  with  the  rich 
cargos  that  poured  into  England  and  promised  to  fill 
their  coffers  to  overflowing.  Every  encouragement 
was  given  the  colonists  to  persist  in  their  short 
sighted  policy.  Smith,  with  true  wisdom,  warned 
the  proprietors  and  the  public  that  the  result  could 
not  be  anything  but  disaster,  but  he  was  scouted  as 
a  croaker,  envious  of  the  good  fortune  of  his 
successors. 

During  the  four  years  that  the  tobacco  madness 
was  at  its  height  the  former  discipline  was  utterly 
relaxed.  There  was  little  disorder  because  every 
one  was  busy  in  the  tobacco  fields  from  morning  till 
night.  But  the  defences  were  entirely  neglected  and 
no  guard  was  maintained  by  day  or  night.  Indeed, 
there  did  not  appear  to  be  any  need  for  such  pre 
caution.  The  Indians  had  been  friendly  for  years 
and  many  of  them  lived  in  the  fort  and  even  in  the 

202 


A  DISMAL  TALE 

homes  of  the  settlers.  Opechancanough  was  now 
the  Chief  of  the  tribe,  Powhatan  being  dead.  The 
former  was  ever  the  implacable  enemy  of  the  whites 
but  had  up  to  this  time  hidden  his  true  feelings  under 
a  cloak  of  cordiality.  Secretly  and  patiently,  mean 
while,  the  cunning  savage  was  plotting  the  destruc 
tion  of  all  the  whites  in  Virginia,  now  numbering 
several  thousands  of  men,  women  and  children, 
scattered  over  a  wide  range  of  country. 

The  blow  fell  suddenly.  On  the  same  day  the 
Indians  attacked  the  settlers  at  different  points  and 
found  them  quite  unprepared  for  resistance.  Nearly 
four  hundred  were  slain,  and  the  massacre  would 
have  been  much  more  extensive  but  for  the  fact 
that  in  many  cases  natives  who  had  acquired  a  real 
regard  for  their  white  neighbors  warned  them  in 
time  and  in  some  instances  defended  them.  The 
tobacco  planters  now  huddled  in  Jamestown,  anxious 
only  for  their  lives.  Hurriedly  the  place  was  put  in 
better  condition  to  withstand  assault  and  provi 
sioned  against  a  siege.  But  Opechancanough  was 
too  astute  to  attack  Jamestown  and  an  armed  peace 
ensued. 

The  tidings  of  the  massacre  horrified  England. 
The  Company  was  panic-stricken  and  at  a  loss  what 
to  do.  Smith  called  upon  them  with  a  proposal  for 
the  effective  defence  of  the  colony,  and  offered  to 
go  out  and  put  it  into  operation  himself.  The 
proprietors  hesitated  to  incur  the  expense  and,  in 

303 


THE  AMERICAN  COLONIST 

the  meanwhile,  their  perplexity  was  relieved  by  the 
cancellation  of  their  charter.  The  colony  was 
attached  to  the  crown  and  the  settlers  were  left  to 
their  own  resources.  Under  these  conditions  they 
seem  to  have  fared  better  than  when  subject  to  pro 
prietary  interests  at  home,  for  from  the  year  of  the 
massacre,  1622,  Virginia  enjoyed  a  century  and  a 
half  of  uneventful  prosperity. 


THE  END. 


304 


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1689  Captain  John 
Smith 


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1689 


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